Patrick "The Predator" Cote Training Camp With Mark Della Grotte for UFC 121

There’s been quite a bit of talk about Pat Cote  before his upcoming fight, so I decided to set the record straight by asking Pat directly what he has felt about his come back.

I met him at Sityodtong in Somerville, MA where he was doing his training camp with Mark DellaGrotte before his upcoming fight with Tom Lawlor. 

Here is what the Canadian striker had to say:

Shelley: "I’m here at Sityodtong in Somerville with UFC Middleweight Fighter Patrick 'The Predator' Cote. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me Pat."

Patrick Cote:  "No problem."

Shelley: "I have to ask, how did you acquire the nickname 'The Predator?'"

Patrick Cote: "From my first team when I was in Quebec City, because from the start I was really, really bad! I was probably the worst fighter ever, but I wanted to be good. Even after normal training sessions, I wanted more. I wanted to train more and they called me 'predator' because I always wanted,  like new prey to train. So the guys called me  'predator' because of  that."

Shelley: "Oh so this name has been with you for a long time even before you were in the UFC?"

Patrick Cote: "Yah, even before my first fight. Yes."

Shelley: "You’ve had a pretty blessed career with the UFC but you’re coming off two losses, one due to your right knee being injured when you landed awkwardly after a kick against Anderson Silva and the other by a pile drive face plant against Alan Belcher which resulted in being submitted by a rear naked choke. Both losses seem to be under circumstances that are a bit unusual. I was wondering from the perspective 'we learn more from our losses than our wins,' what your thoughts have been about those two fights as you make your way back up the UFC ladder?"

Patrick Cote:  "You know for my fight against Anderson Silva, if I have to fight him again, I will do the same exact thing. I think we really had a good game plan, we were at the fight and I felt good, I had fun. It was just bad luck and a bad time. You know I think that I was really in the fight and the fight was almost, close. I’m a boxer and a striker so you never know what can happen. I was in the third round. Up until recently, Silva hasn’t seen any third round since 2004. So that was our game plan, to go forward  into the fight  and open more a little bit after that.

Adam Belcher, that was a year and half after my surgery so it was a long lay off. I thought I was over ring rust. I didn’t think ring rust really exists but it took me a minute, to a minute and a half, to get comfortable in the fight. After that I was able to take him down and try a couple of submissions. And in the second round I felt really good, I was able to find my range and I tried to take him down again but he put my head between his leg. From my side, I made a mistake because I was there too long. When a fighter does that you have to switch for a single leg or something like that, but yah know, I didn’t expect that at all, what he did."

Shelley: "Yah, Nobody did! There was some reference to it being an illegal pile drive to the head."

Patrick Cote: "Yah, so when he dropped me, I felt a little bit dizzy for two seconds and that was enough time for him to take my back and sink in that choke right away.  But you know, I don’t make rules, I fight, so I took the decision, I didn’t complain. Everybody saw what happened. If it’s illegal or not, it’s not my decision."

Shelley: "You’re expected to face Tom Lawlor on October 23, 2010, at UFC 121 who is also coming off two losses and is said to be hungrier than ever. Knowing that, how does that sharpen your focus on winning this fight and what are you doing to prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally?"

Patrick Cote: "I feel that I have my back against the wall once again with the UFC. You know, I have a really good relationship with the UFC, but even if my two losses came from injury and a controversial takedown, I’m still two losses in a row. So if Tom Lawlor is up for this fight he has no idea how I am. I’m really excited about this fight. I think it’s a good match up for me. I’m 100 percent healthy, physically  and mentally I’m really well prepared. I can’t wait for this fight and like I said, I have my back against the wall and every time I was under pressure I did good. So, I’m looking forward for this fight. Its going to be on Spike TV and a lot of people are going to watch and I’m planning to put him away before the judges decision, for sure!"

Shelley: "You’ve been training with Mark DellaGrotte for some time…How’s your training camp going here at Sityodtong?"

Patrick Cote: "Yah, I train with Brazilian Top Team in Canada and with Kru Ash in Montreal. He’s my Muay Thai coach there. Kru’s going to be under Sityodtong pretty soon. We’re gonna start teaching Muay Thai in Montreal pretty soon. So its very exciting. We’re really, really excited about it! And Yah working with Mark Dellagrotte for finishing and a little touch up to my game, is always a good training camp when I come to Sityodtong, Boston.  And the thing is my coach Fabio Holanda under BTT Canada and Mark work very well together. And you know what I’ve been on top with those guys and in my head I have no reason to change camps."

Shelley: "Can you tell us a little bit about the over all training you get here from pad work, sparring, to conditioning when you’re here in Boston as opposed to in Quebec?"

Patrick Cote: "Actually my Muay Thai coach Kru Ash has the same style as Mark. For sure Mark is phenomenal as everyone knows and is, I mean, right now, is almost a legend in the sport. Everybody knows him. He’s well known and well respected. But Ash came with me the last time I came to Boston and they both talked and they have a similar style. So when I train Muay Thai with Kru Ash and I come here this is not a big difference, for sure Mark he knows a little bit more about MMA game. Ash is more about pure striking and stuff like that. But here Mark is really good at putting together a good game plan and I trust him so I’m gonna follow what he says. I have no doubt about what he is going to tell me."

Shelley: "So when they do the coaching in your corner is there a lead coach?"

Patrick Cote: "If its on standup Mark’s going to take over, if its on the ground Fabio’s going to talk to me. Fabio Holanda’s a black belt under BTT. They respect each other they know what their strengths are and they let the other work very well. I’m lucky because they want the best for me, they are not there only to gain the credit of the win. They are there for me, for sure. I’m going to give them all the credit as possible, but they want the best for me, that’s why we work well together."

Shelley: "How do you think they help you evolve as a fighter?"

Patrick Cote: "Ah, you know, Fabio is like my brother. He’s more than my coach, he’s one of my best friends and he wants the best for me and we always train really hard in Montreal at BTT. He’s put everything in the gym for me to be ready for this fight. He’s very well concerned about my game plan and how prepared I am. Mark on the other side is like my second father. When I come here, I come home, when I come to Boston I feel like home. Mark and I, we have been working together since The Ultimate Fighter Season 4. And since those days, before my fight against Anderson Silva I was undefeated under Mark DellaGrotte. So bad luck happened and after that loss against Adam Belcher  this thing has passed, we are going to get back on a winning streak."

Shelley: "There has been some trash talk going on between you and Michael Bisping. With both of you fighting soon, he fights the week before you do. What will happen, say if you win, he wins, could there be a potential match up between you two? Would you like to see that? I know you’ve been asking for that. What are your thoughts on that?"

Patrick Cote: "For sure, everyone knows I want to fight him. The thing is, I said something to a journalist, who asked me a question about him. I didn’t talk about him, I answered a question about something somebody asked me about him. And he took it, pretty bad. He started to trash talk me and if your gonna do that, I’m gonna answer. I’m pretty good at trash talking too. So if you’re gonna start that, its gonna be a war for sure. But right now my focus is Tom Lawlor. Tom Lawlor is no joke! If I look past Tom Lawlor, I’m gonna be in big trouble."

Shelley: "Ok, my next question was going to be about Anderson Silva again, but we won’t even go there, let’s go this way instead. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva, I’m sure you must of watched because you had also competed against Silva and went three rounds with him. After hearing all the trash talking by  Sonnen, then watching the fight and the finishing results with Sonnen going three rounds and Anderson squeaking out the win. What are your thoughts about that fight? AND the recent news about Sonnen testing positive?"

Patrick Cote: “I like Chael Sonnen, I like his trash talk. I think he’s funny as hell! He’s very entertaining, and very good to hype and sell the fight. What he did to Anderson Silva was really impressive. I was really very impressed with what he did because he was able to back his word. He said he will go there and fight and that’s exactly what he did. The thing is on the other side he looks a little bit stupid now because he was trash talking a lot of guys about taking some juice. He was saying George was on juice, Brock Lesnar was on juice and at the end of the day he got caught for using juice too. That’s the only problem I have, he said a lot of things against that, then he got caught. He’s gonna have to deal with it and we’ll see what happens with that.”

Shelley: “So can we expect to see 'The Predator' go on another tear? Last time it took you all the way to a title shot with Anderson. Are you looking to put away the necessary consecutive opponents to earn another title bid?”

Patrick Cote: “Oh yah, a title fight for sure! I don’t do this sport to be number two, I do this sport to be number one! I put so much effort into training and sacrifice, I’m far from my home, far from my family, and diet, you know everything. I train hard, this is my job, so yah, for sure, I want another title fight!”

Shelley: “How has all the time away and being a fighter affected your home life?”

Patrick Cote: “My family understands everything about it. This is my job, I’ve been doing this for six or seven years now. Its just a part of life. I’m lucky because I do what I love! Because a lot of people go to the office and they don’t like what they do at their job. Having somebody paying me to be in good shape, is pretty good! (laughs)”

Shelley: “I know, I said I wasn’t going to go there, but I can’t help myself. Are you setting your sites once again on Anderson Silva?”

Pat Cote: “I don’t want another fight against Anderson Silva, this is not what I want. I want another Title fight. If he is still the champion, I will fight him for sure, but I do not have anything personal against Anderson Silva.  My goal is for a title fight, win the belt and become the World Champion. I think I have necessary skills to do that.”

Shelley: “You know I write a bit on women’s MMA so I have to ask this off the cuff question:  With the rise in women’s MMA, do you think woman will ever or should compete in the UFC?”

Pat Cote:  “Sure, why not, I have no problem with woman fighting. There are girls in Montreal who fight that are really, really good! But the thing is I don’t think it’s gonna happen because it’s a bit hard to sell, this kind of fight. Even two guys in the cage, it’s still a little bit taboo, so I can’t imagine two girls in the cage, because for woman its ten times worse to gain the fan base, it’s a much harder sell.”

Shelley: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

Patrick Cote: “Just that I’m very thankful about my training camp, all my trainers, my sponsors, everybody who supports me, especially the fans! Because  I was out for a long time, but every time I go somewhere there is a line, a big line up and people want to take pictures of me and want to talk with me. So I want to Thank everybody for that!”

Shelley: “Thanks Pat and good luck against Lawlor!”

Photo & Interview By Shelley Devine