Patrick Cote Speaks on His Welterweight Debut Against Bobby Voelker at UFC 158
Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 03.13.2013
Cote knows he has to perform strong this weekend...
UFC fighter Patrick Cote was at the UFC 158 open workouts this week, and he spoke about his upcoming fight and debut at welterweight against former Strikeforce fighter Bobby Voelker at UFC 158 this weekend. Here are some highlights:
Cote's thoughts on the fight: "It's probably the biggest fight of my life, of my career. The UFC made a pretty clear message with all the cuts they made a month ago. They said they have to cut more fighters in the future, so the message is pretty clear that when you step into the octagon, you have to deliver it and give a good show. It's nothing different for me. I have to go there, and I have to perform."
Cote on his weight cut to 170 pounds: "With all the knowledge of nutrition and cutting weight, those guys at 185 are pretty big dudes now. They walk around at 225, 230 pounds. Guys like Yushin Okami, Chael Sonnen, even Alessio Sakara, they're pretty big guys. A couple of years ago, I was an average middleweight, but now I was a small one."
Cote on not taking anything for granted against Voelker: "The thing is, that's going to be my biggest mistake if I approach this fight by thinking like that. This guy is a gamer. He's going to come in his first fight in the UFC, and he has everything to win. He's very aggressive. He's going forward. He's able to punch, and he always comes back in his fights, even if he was in big trouble. He's always able to come back and win the fight. He had a good left hook, and he's pretty decent on his feet, too. But like I said, he's going to come very hungry. This is his chance, and that's why I trained very, very hard."
Cote on his aims for the fight: "This is going to put me on the map at 170. It's my first fight at 170. You have to take one fight at a time. Bobby Voelker is going to be the first one."
