Danzig wants to leave TUF stigma behind
by BRIAN KNAPP, The Fight Network
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He faces the same uphill climb that was presented to past winners, such as current UFC light heavyweight title contender Forrest Griffin, welterweight Diego Sanchez and lightweight Joe Stevenson.
"For whatever reason, people tend to discount the guys that have been on the show," Danzig says. "It is my job to prove that I belong in the top group of the 155-pound guys."
A former King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge lightweight champion, the 28-year-old established himself as a player on the mixed martial arts scene long before he emerged as a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter." Danzig (18-4-1, 2-0 UFC) has been finished only once — by Japanese superstar Hayato "Mach" Sakurai" at Pride 33 — in 23 professional bouts.
A Cleveland native who now trains at Extreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas, Danzig also points to the recent success Nate Diaz has enjoyed since he won the lightweight competition on season five of "The Ultimate Fighter." The 23-year-old Diaz, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie, has posted three consecutive submission wins since he appeared on the show last spring.
"Nate Diaz is doing really good and showing that the guys that are on the show.,.they're not to be treated lightly," Danzig says.
Danzig, who submitted World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Tommy Speer in the welterweight final at "The Ultimate Fighter 6" live finale in December, admits he likes proving his naysayers wrong. The reality series, he says, was merely a springboard to a brighter future.
"It's always good to shut people up," Danzig says. "But people will never completely shut up, so you've just got to do your job. The show was just my opportunity to do this and to go further in the sport."
Danzig made his pay-per-view debut inside the Octagon at UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre 2 on April 19 in Montreal, as he submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Mark Bocek in the third round before more than 21,000 fans at the Bell Centre. He mangled the Canadian's face with strikes and eventually wore down Bocek, setting the stage for the tapout. Still, he sees room for improvement.
"I'm still not completely happy with my performance," says Danzig, who has secured 10 of his 18 career wins by submission. "There's a lot of things that I could have done a lot better. I felt like I was a little sloppy out there, but I got the job done."
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