UFC: Matt Mitrione: "Getting a Piece of Gold Is What I Want to Talk About"

Following his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, Matt Mitrione has quickly established himself as one of the brightest heavyweight prospects in the sport. Despite his early success, however, Mitrione insists that his job has only just begun.

“Getting into the UFC is like getting into the NFL; it’s cool to be there and winning a couple in a row is cool, too,” said Mitrione after his victory over Christian Morecraft at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry, in an exclusive interview with Ed Kapp.

“But getting a piece of gold is what I want to talk about.”  

For Mitrione, who first started playing football in grade five, high-standards in athletics date back to his days on the gridiron.

A defensive lineman for Purdue’s football squad for four years, Mitrione first caught the attention of professional football fans as a member of the New York Giants in 2002.

After a few years, however, Mitrione, who claims that he always knew he would be in the NFL, was, on account of injuries, out of the professional football.

“I was absolutely disappointed, but I got injured and football was done with me and that’s what it was. I was good enough to get in there and I was good enough to play quite a bit as a rookie, but my body had enough snaps and decided it was done.”

For Mitrione, who dreamed of making trips to Hawaii for the league’s annual All-Star game, his NFL experience was a resounding bust.

“Getting to the NFL doesn’t mean too much, though—there’s all kinds of guys that hang on by a thread in the NFL the whole time—but when you get into the Pro Bowl, that’s something worth talking about—you’re something worth talking about.”

Since trying his hand at mixed martial arts a few years ago, Mitrione has taken those high-expectations and translated them into his new-found passion. 

Following The Ultimate Fighter, Mitrione, who holds professional victories over Marcus Jones, Kimbo Slice, Joey Beltran, Tim Hague and, most recently, Morecraft, is undefeated in five outings. Despite his record, though, Mitrione insists his early success is no surprise. 

“To be honest, I haven’t really accomplished anything, man. I’ve had five fights, now and I’ve fought bottom-tier talent—I haven’t fought the mid-teens or the single-digit talents, yet. Once I do that, I’ll see how that goes. For right now, though, even though I haven’t had a lot of experience, I’m a good athlete, I’m pretty aggressive and I’m pretty coordinated, so I should succeed against lesser-talent.”

Following his most recent performance, Mitrione, who describes his fighting-style as “unorthodox and sloppy,” is confident moving deeper into the UFC’s heavyweight division and further working towards his long-term goal.

“I need to get another fight and get one step closer to being a contender and accomplish what I’m capable of accomplishing in the sport...When I’m retired or kicked out, if I’m able to get a piece of gold and have it around my waist for more than just one fight, then that will be something that I’m happy about.

“I’m 32 now and I think I’d like to retire at 63. I’d like to retire and head straight to the social security office—that’s what I’m trying to do.”