Sponsorship is the Secret to
Success for MMA Athletes
August 17, 2009
Sponsorship
turned Jason “Dooms” Day’s
passion for fighting into a
full-time job and has encouraged
him to look beyond his own
career to the future of mixed
martial arts in Alberta.
Before
securing major sponsorship, Day
was like any fighter trying to
make his way in MMA - he had a
day job and trained in the
evenings. When he had to travel
to fight, he arranged time off
work, mentally prepared for the
fight as quickly as possible,
and returned to “real life” on
Monday.
“Everything
changed for me once I was able
to fight full time,” says Day.
“My mental focus, my nutrition,
the intensity I was able to
train with. I was building
houses before and it was
difficult to put everything into
training at night when I was so
physically spent from my job.”
Before
securing any serious sponsors,
Day took “a leap of faith” and
moved from Lethbridge, Alberta
to Calgary where he had access
to better training facilities,
better access to fighters to
spar with, close proximity to
Tanya Lee at BodyArt Motion - as
well as Calgary's international
airport for flying to fights,
training centres and to bring
other fighters to Calgary.
“I met David
McClure from Bedford Biofuels
Inc. and he believes in me and
my abilities and is passionate
about mixed martial arts. He
gave me a place to live and the
means to make fighting into a
career.”
The expenses
for a full-time fighter include
everything from supplements to
training costs, gear, clothing,
flights and coaching fees. Some
people are under the illusion
that the minute you make it to
the UFC, you hit pay dirt, but
that simply isn’t true for
most.
Day says his
sponsorship from Bedford also
allows him to focus on bigger
and better things, like
expanding his scope to include
an MMA-specific training
facility – something Calgary is
currently lacking.
“I want to
open an elite team fighting
facility where full-time
fighters can train during the
day,” says Day. “When you can
put everything into a fighting
career and make a serious job of
it, that’s when everything
changes and you can open
yourself up to bigger and better
opportunities.
“With the
centre I want to open, I’d like
to have enough support from
sponsors to bring a team in,
feed them and support them. In
return, the sponsors would get
exposure with their company name
on shirts and shorts, banners
and websites. I’d like to plan
an annual soiree for charity too
where we could involve our
sponsors and show everyone what
we’ve created together.”
David
McClure, President and CEO of
Bedford Biofuels Inc., Day’s
major sponsor, says Bedford has
had some incredible exposure
through its sponsorship of the
fighter.
McClure says
the fight centre Day is building
will not only give some of the
fighters in Alberta a chance at
a great career, it will be a
chance for executives to train
with professional fighters.
With a few
corporations behind these
fighters, they will effectively
represent Alberta and Canada
with MMA going forward, says
McClure. Pound for pound,
Alberta as much MMA talent as
anywhere else in the world.
“The facility
I envision will be for serious
fighters who want to make a
career out of it, not for thugs
who want two or three fights,
will go party and then bail,”
said Day. “I want it to be about
respect; both for the guys
working so hard to make it and
the companies and individuals
supporting them.”
Interview with
major sponsor:
David
McClure, President and CEO of
Bedford Biofuels Inc.
Project
“Dooms”-Day
Continues…
After a brief hiatus
from the aggressive
confines of a steel
cage, Jay Day
stepped up to fight
what turned out to
be a very game
opponent at Rumble
In The Cage 35 in
his home town of
Lethbridge, Alberta.
Headlining the card
and starting what
promises to be a
very short journey
back to the Octagon,
Jay stared across at
a very capable
Trevor Stewardson.
Stewardson is an
Olympic level boxer
who represented
Canada in Athens as
a light heavyweight
who has since
compiled a
respectable 5-1
record as a mixed
martial artist.
“From everything
I’ve heard about
him, he’s a tough
kid with a durable
chin. I certainly
have to be weary of
his striking but
have all the
confidence in the
world that I’ll take
him down and submit
him,” Jay
prophetically said
in the days prior to
the bout.
As if according to
plan, Stewardson
came out striking.
The two combatants
engaged each other
until Jay’s cage
savvy, MMA
experience and size
advantage took over.
The brutal ground
and pound attack Jay
unleashed was the
least of Trevor’s
worries as Jay moved
from submission
attempt to full
mount with relative
ease.
Of note was Jay’s
friendly taunting to
his training
partners and friends
in the lead up to
the fight that
“Eddie will be
proud, it’s
twister time”.
The second round
started in
Stewardson’s favor
as he returned to
his roots and
demonstrated his
striking ability.
With little damage
taken, Jay
demonstrated some of
the tenacity that
paved the way for
him to the UFC as he
took the fight back
to the ground. After
a series of
submission attempts,
the stage was set.
Eddie Bravo would be
proud once again as
Jay smoothly
maneuvered into a
very slick
twister which
forced Stewardson to
tap.
After the fight, Jay
was clearly
relieved. “Trevor
was tough as hell, I
think he’s got a
great future. I’m
glad that all the
training and the
changes I’ve made in
the last while are
starting to pay off.
I’m working my ass
off even harder now
to improve my game.
Once you have a
taste of 20,000
screaming fans
fighting for the
UFC, there is truly
no other
alternative. I’m
going to continue to
smash and submit and
outwork every
opponent who gets in
my way until I get
that call from Joe
Silva. All the
respect in the world
to Trevor, but there
was no way he was
getting in my way as
I fight toward a
return to the UFC.”
It’s clear that
there is only one
thing on Jay’s mind.
Project “Dooms”-Day
may not be evolving
as initially
intended, but
everything worth
getting is worth
fighting for. And
for a guy who fights
for a living, is
there really any
other way??
Doomsday Ready For Kendall Grove
Brand New Day - ufc.com
Feb-23-2009
For the past few years, the
repetitive monotony of the daily
routine of Jason Day’s life had
begun to eerily parallel that of
Bill Murray’s character Phil
Connors from the movie
“Groundhog Day”
Jason Day Has Switched
Shit Up -
fightlinker.com
February 24, 2009
Great fighters will
often say that losing
was the best thing that
ever happened to them
because they learn from
it and get better.
Jason Day Predictions UFC 95 -
fightlinker.com
February 19, 2009
The UFC has presented me
with the opportunity to
fight another tough guy
in Grove, which is truly
an honor. I’m not going
to comment much about my
own fight, as I like to
keep my cards close to
my chest. I may not be
much of a poker player
but I sure as hell
intend to show that I’m
a damn good fighter on
my way up in the
middleweight division.
UFC 94 Jason Day Predictions -
fightlinker.com
January 23, 2009
I’m hard at work in the
gym and haven’t felt
this healthy or ready in
years. Thanks to the
boyz at Fightlinker for
hookin’ me up once
again.
Healthy
New Place To Call Home
December 16, 2008
It's been an arduous four months
for Jason "Dooms" Day.
Originally slated to step into
the Octagon at UFC
88:Breakthrough in Atlanta,
Georgia against UFC veteran
Jason Lambert, a troublesome
elbow injury forced him from the
card. Six months of continuous
fight training finally took its
toll when the doctor suggested
it was time to examine his elbow
a little closer. Unfortunately,
a number of small bone chips in
his elbow restricted movement
and created numbness that made
training for Lambert a poor
career decision. Fast-forward a
few short weeks and the surgery
scars have healed, the training
has resumed, and the future
continues to look bright.
"Dooms" Day now calls Calgary,
Alberta home and with a new home
comes a new focus on his career
as a mixed martial artist. "I've
been saying in interviews for
months now that I wanted to put
down the hammer and hit the gym
more regularly like many of the
professional athletes I'm
competing against. I've done
pretty well so far so I'm really
excited to see the progression
over the next few months!" The
transition to full time fighter
has gone smooth, if not as
quickly as Jay would like. The
elbow is healing nicely and Jay
is anxious to test it against
his next rubber guard victim,
something that surely brings a
smile to the face of Eddie
Bravo. While "Dooms" Day is
anxious to return to the
Octagon, timing will likely
dictate that his next fight is
sometime during the first
quarter of 2009. Not wanting to
speculate too much on his next
opponent, Jay is confident and
anxious to take on all
challengers. "Joe, Dana, and my
manager, Dean will likely make
that decision for me. It's my
job to stay fit and healthy and
ready to put a camp together on
a moments notice. I have
something to prove to my fans
and myself and that starts every
morning in the gym. I'll let
those three figure the rest
out."
Why call Calgary home is the
question Jay gets asked most
often. One simple reason is that
it is close enough to his
training partners who've helped
him get this far. Fighters like
Lee Mein, Justin Tavernini, Dan
Chambers, Jordan Mein and Jared
Kilkenny and the rest of the
guys at CMC in Lethbridge have
all played an important role in
Jay's development. Also, Calgary
is home to Teofista where Jay is
refining his striking and
BodyArt for strength, alignment,
and nutrition. Looking to step
up his BJJ game Jay has found a
good fit with Brian Bird at BDB
Martial arts. "Brian is a Black
belt under Roy Harris and an
amazing teacher, I have
neglected my ground game for the
last couple years and Brian in
helping me bring my game back up
to fill the gaps"
The intention is to capitalize
and focus on the MMA market in
Alberta that is largely
centralized in Calgary. Jay
"Dooms" Day has expressed
interest and hinted at creating
a training center for serious
pro fighters. It would
be Calgary's first martial arts
center run by a UFC fighter and
focused on training serious
professional fighters. "I want
to make a place where J-Mac can
come in to town and roll for a
few days pre-fight; where Joe
Doerksen or Victor Valimaki can
help me refine my skills.
Basically, where anyone who
takes this sport serious in
Calgary and area can come to
train with other like minded
fighters." With Dana White's
recent assertion that Canada is
next on the UFC's radar, one
can't help but get excited over
the potential prospect of a
future UFC event at the
Saddledome. "Calgary is a great
fit for me. I need to be ready
to fight at all times. J-Mac
took a couple short notice
fights and I'd like to think the
UFC likes guys who are willing
to step up when asked. If I need
to bring someone in to camp or
get somewhere quickly, Calgary
is a great hub to fly out of.
Plus, I've fought in Calgary a
bunch of times and the fans and
other fighters here are
fantastic. MMA is becoming
something special in the sports
world right now. I want to do
everything I can to increase
that exposure and to create a
situation where I am ready,
stand up or take down, to smash
my way through the other guy in
the Octagon."
Jason Day Has Successful Surgery
On Injured Elbow
Saturday September
27, 2008
Just over two weeks out from
the UFC 88 fight, an elbow
injury would force Day off
of the card. “It
sucked man; there is nothing
worse than getting injured
that close to a fight and
missing out.”
Yesterday, Day had
successful surgery performed
on the elbow that took him
out of action and is now
rehabbing the arm.
Jason Day's Visit To Toronto
(mmacanada.net)
Tuesday September 16, 2008
Sean McManus –
Jason 'Dooms' Day had to
pull out of his scheduled
UFC 88 bout with Jason
Lambert. The UFC's
loss was MMACanada.net's and
Toronto's gain. Jason
spent the weekend with us
here in Toronto attending a
seminar and hosting various
meet and greets with fans.
Making sure our guest had a
good time was a mandate that
I looked forward to take
head on.
Another Tough Day Outside the
Octagon
Friday, September 5th
Sometimes the average day of a
UFC fighter is not so average.
Jay Day was invited to
represent the UFC and MMA in
general at the 2008 edition of
the Toronto International Film
Festival.
Jason
Day regroups and refocuses for
UFC return
July 9, 2008
With a full-time
commitment perhaps
Day’s fairy tale
will pick up right
where he left off,
taking dudes out
with bunches of
punches.
article by
mmamania.com
Back in
the Gym.
July 4, 2008
Jay
is back in the grind.
After a week in London
post-fight and a weekend
off to relax, Jay is
back in the gym and back
on the job site. After 4
months of constant
training to get his body
and mind into the best
shape possible for the
Octagon, he’s anxious to
build and sharpen his
skills as he anxiously
awaits the next call
from Joe Silva, UFC
matchmaker. Building
houses is a full time
job for Jay, but so is
fighting to become a
middleweight contender
in the UFC. To wit, Jay
is presently training in
Las Vegas, Nevada with
the likes of Frank Mir,
Miguel Torres, Robert
Drysdale, Eddie Bravo
and other world class
MMA-ers. Despite the 110
degree weather, Jay says
that “…training is going
awesome. Torres has so
much knowledge. Drysdale
is sick on the ground
and Mir is a beast!”
It’s been a solid week
of learning and fine
tuning for Jay which
will undoubtedly improve
his entire game. A
quick trip to UFC 86 to
watch Rampage vs.
Griffin and the rest of
his UFC contemporaries
and a tremendous week of
MMA training, networking
and watching will be
over. And maybe an after
party or two...
Jason Day London Interview
June 24, 2008
The British fans and British
media were awesome to deal
with, but the outcome of the
fight is not what I wanted
obviously.
Day Ready For Battle (video)
Article by
cagepotato.com
June 6, 2008
Interview
with Jay : Belcher Review and Bisbing Prep
June 2, 2008
"To me, hearing the bell and touching gloves is
like waking a sleeping lion. I’m not flying all
the way to England to lay and pray. I’m going to
put on a show for my fans, my team, and my
friends."
Jason
Day regroups and refocuses for
UFC return
July 9, 2008
With a full-time
commitment perhaps
Day’s fairy tale
will pick up right
where he left off,
taking dudes out
with bunches of
punches.
article by
mmamania.com
Back in
the Gym.
July 4, 2008
Jay
is back in the grind.
After a week in London
post-fight and a weekend
off to relax, Jay is
back in the gym and back
on the job site. After 4
months of constant
training to get his body
and mind into the best
shape possible for the
Octagon, he’s anxious to
build and sharpen his
skills as he anxiously
awaits the next call
from Joe Silva, UFC
matchmaker. Building
houses is a full time
job for Jay, but so is
fighting to become a
middleweight contender
in the UFC. To wit, Jay
is presently training in
Las Vegas, Nevada with
the likes of Frank Mir,
Miguel Torres, Robert
Drysdale, Eddie Bravo
and other world class
MMA-ers. Despite the 110
degree weather, Jay says
that “…training is going
awesome. Torres has so
much knowledge. Drysdale
is sick on the ground
and Mir is a beast!”
It’s been a solid week
of learning and fine
tuning for Jay which
will undoubtedly improve
his entire game. A
quick trip to UFC 86 to
watch Rampage vs.
Griffin and the rest of
his UFC contemporaries
and a tremendous week of
MMA training, networking
and watching will be
over. And maybe an after
party or two...
Jason Day London Interview
June 24, 2008
The British fans and British
media were awesome to deal
with, but the outcome of the
fight is not what I wanted
obviously.
Day Ready For Battle (video)
Article by
cagepotato.com
June 6, 2008
UFC 85: Bedlam Interview with Jay Day
June 2, 2008
JayDayMMa.com:Well Jason, it’s
safe to say that it has been a bit of a
whirlwind tour since you signed with the
UFC. Has everything happened as you expected
or have you even caught up yet to everything
that has happened?
Jay “Dooms” Day:
[laughs] It’s been a little bit crazy. You
work so hard and take small step after small
step for so many years to move your way
through the sport and up the ladder. I kind
of expected that path to continue. Instead,
I get the chance to fight in Montreal in
front of the biggest audience for my debut.
Now, I get to be in the exact same
situation, but opposite, as I head to
England. I kind of expected a TUF finale
fight on the under card to get things
rolling in the UFC but I am certainly not
going to squander this opportunity! It’s
kind of working out well because my training
has been consistent and I am used to
fighting on much shorter notice than I’ve
been given for both of my UFC fights.
JDM:
Speaking of Montreal,
tell us how satisfied it was to prove to all
the critics that you weren’t a sacrificial
lamb for Belcher.
Jay:
It was awesome just to be in Montreal. The
atmosphere was electric and I would like to
think that I helped get the crowed even more
hyped by my performance. The simple fact is
that I’m coming in as an unknown to many of
these guys. My supporters and friends in
Canada certainly know me but a lot of the
UFC guys do not. I don’t want to say that
Belcher underestimated me but I will say
that I prepared very well for that fight. I
have a great team that dissected my opponent
and we put together a game plan that would
work. Fortunately, I never had to go to plan
B or plan C. Plan A was to beat him at his
own game by standing with him, dirty boxing
and trading punches. I was completely calm
when he took me down and I continued to
execute. Once the door to the Octagon
closes, it’s all up to me regardless of the
game plan. I executed better than him that
night and now we’re off to England. I may
not have the name some of these guys
have but I certainly have confidence in my
ability.
JDM:
As we lead up
to UFC 85: Bedlam, how have your
preparations been?
Jay:
There are a few things that we have done
different in my training for this fight not
so much in preparation for a specific
opponent but to get myself more prepared. I
wrote about them in a training diary for
www.mmamania.com
I’ve kept myself healthy and relaxed. I was
already in great shape for the fight in
Montreal so my foundation for the Bisping
fight is that much better. We’ve identified
a few areas where my skill set may work to
my advantage in the Octagon and we are
working on those areas. As fighters, we all
want to exploit our opponent’s weakness.
Bisping is a TUF alumni with a great track
record in the UFC. I fully anticipate a war
and am training for one. He will put on a
great show for his countrymen just like I
wanted to do in Montreal. I’ve seen that
electricity in a packed arena already so
that wont phase me. My mental game is sound
in that respect. Everything else is gone
perfect – call it nervous anticipation. I
can’t wait to throw that first elbow!
JDM:
Is there
anything about Bisping’s game that you feel
you can exploit?
Jay:
I think we match up well together. He is a
well rounded fighter with a bunch of
experience. Both of us are eager to climb
the middleweight division and, quite
frankly, we both want that UFC bonus money!
My team is training me to deal with most
aspects of his game but we all have a lot of
respect for him as a fighter. I feel
privileged to step up to someone of his
caliber this quickly and plan to show the
UFC that I belong there. I prefer to train
to my strengths rather than my opponents’
weaknesses. If I make sure that I’m on
target with what I’m good at, he’ll have to
be aware of me. It’s such a cliché but the
best defense is a good offense – Belcher
might agree with that. I just want to get in
there and bang it out. I have all the
confidence in the world but I am not going
to disrespect Michael or all of England for
that matter for a sound bite. We’re both
going to be prepared, may the best many win
and after, I’ll buy the first pint!
JDM:
You seem to take a calm and confident
approach to your fights. Do you think this
helps you?
Jay:
I just am who I am. I’m not going to get on
the web and get in interviews and talk shit
about somebody at this point. I’m the new
guy who needs to earn my keep and respect
those who came before me. Truly, I’m just
proud to be an ambassador for the UFC. In
England, I’ll have all of Canada in my
corner. We’ve all put the hours into our
training and health and diet. To get all
amped up just wastes energy. I am getting
paid to perform in the Octagon. Dana White
wants me to perform in the Octagon. If I
bring all that energy into my fight with
Bisping, he might be surprised what is
standing across from him. Hearing that bell
and touching gloves is like waking a
sleeping lion to me. I’m not flying all the
way to England to lay and pray. I’m going to
put on a show for my fans, for my team, and
for my friends and that will happen in the
cage. There is no sense being something I’m
not and getting all jacked up, insulting
everyone, and distracting myself is just not
me.
JDM:
You know that Joe Rogan will be there and if
you pull out that rubber guard again he’ll
go insane!
Jay:
Yeah.. [laughs]. That’s in the tool belt for
sure. I’ve been working on a few things that
will help me in this fight. After ten years
of training I still feel like I am improving
a little bit every day. I’m pretty good at
picking up things on the fly. Maybe I can do
Eddie Bravo and Rogan proud one more time…
JDM:
Thanks for your time Jay! I know its back to
work building houses for the hardest working
guy in MMA. Best of luck in England and
we’ll talk again soon!
Jay:
Thanks man. I still have stuff to finish on
the house before I leave. It’s great having
something else to focus on besides fighting
at times. Hardest working guy or
small town boy does good are pretty good
nicknames to work for. Now I have to get to
London and earn them. Make sure you watch –
fight of the night, UFC 85: Bedlam! Time to
get to work…
News May 08 Archive
Bisping About Jay Day
May 18, 2008
"I believe Jason Day is just as dangerous an
opponent – he beat Alan Belcher who’s a pretty
strong fighter."
Jay Day About Bisping
May 14, 2008
MMACanada.net Catches Up With Alberta's Own Jason
'Dooms' Day About His Upcoming UFC 85 Bout With Michael
Bisping.
Sherdog.com On Micheal
Bisping vs Jason Day
May
12, 2008
The day after his surprising
dismantling of
Alan Belcher
at UFC 83 in Montreal last
month,
Jason Day
told Sherdog.com that he wanted
Michael Bisping as his next
opponent.
Jason Day’s Whirlwind UFC Ride
Continues
Article by
Thomas
Gerbasi UFC.com
May 10, 2008
It was the perfect way to make
an opening statement in the
Octagon, and the fans both in
Montreal and around the Internet
responded.
Jason Day replaces Chris Leben
at UFC 85…
Article by
mmasplatter.com
May 9, 2008
Canadian MMA fighter Jason
`Dooms` Day steps up again to
fill in on short notice for the
UFC.
News April 08 Archive
Source: Thomas Gerbasi |
03/04/2008 |
http://ufc.com
Corner Man Talks Up Jay Day
After hearing from Canadian promoters that the
UFC was interested, Day and Mein decided to find
out firsthand. So they drove to Las Vegas last
summer to take in UFC 74 and to meet UFC
matchmaker Joe Silva at a pre-fight party being
hosted by MMA agent Dean Albrecht, a fellow
Canadian.
UFC Jay
Dooms Day Debut :: Day vs Belcher
"He's up there," Day said of Belcher's status in the
185-pound ranks. "I think beating him will definitely
get me a lot of recognition and credibility right off
the bat, so I couldn't ask for a better first fight in
the UFC."
School Of Hard
Knocks
While good on the ground, Day was weak on his
feet but says times have changed. He started
paying attention to the standup game after
losing to Valimaki in September 2006.
Committed To Build Houses All Day Then Train
"He's one of these guys that works all day,
building houses and then comes in and trains
three hours straight and then goes home. Most
guys, physically and mentally, couldn't keep up
that schedule alone, just training and working,
let alone fight world-class guys so he's very
mentally tough."
Corner Man Talks Up Jay Day
After hearing from Canadian promoters that the
UFC was interested, Day and Mein decided to find
out firsthand. So they drove to Las Vegas last
summer to take in UFC 74 and to meet UFC
matchmaker Joe Silva at a pre-fight party being
hosted by MMA agent Dean Albrecht, a fellow
Canadian.
Looking to save money, they drove. Day
bought a 1992 VW Jetta the week before for $900.
Mein drove through the night and Day took over
the wheel at 6 a.m.
As promised, they met Silva at Albrecht's party.
The matchmaker confirmed the UFC's interest,
saying if Day won his next two fights he was in.
"It was a trip that was worth it, just for
knowing that we're on the right track"
Mein recalled.
Sadly, the Jetta broke down in Butte, Mont., on
the way back. Day rented a U-Haul and towed it
home (his cousin, a mechanic, rebuilt the
engine, and Day still drives it).
Day won his next two outings against Shawn
Marchand and Faircloth only to be told the UFC
had no openings for the next few months. Take
another fight, Day and Mein were told. Just
don't lose.
"Well there's no guarantees of that in the whole
MMA world," Mein said. "You can fight a bum and
still lose, right, because the way the sport can
go. We figured let's fight someone tough and if
you lose, at least you learn from it (rather)
than fighting someone you should have beat. So
we took the fight with David Loiseau."
Loiseau is no joke, having lasted a punishing 25
minutes with then UFC champion Rich Franklin at
UFC 58 in March 2006. These days, however,
Loiseau is looking to climb back up the ladder.
Day knocked him down a few more notches,
although the Montrealer still believes he should
have got the decision.
Jay Day Early Daze Day, who played volleyball at Lethbridge
Community College, took up jiu-jitsu after
meeting Mein while working as a bartender at a
club called The Road House. He won a few
tournaments and switched to MMA. "So I stepped
into that and basically fell in love with it."
He won his first pro fight in July 2002,
emerging with a win from a card called the
Border Town Brawl in Lloydminster.
But like Belcher, he took his lumps early on and
was soon 2-3. "I took some tough fights early on
in my career."
Day quit the sport in 2004, saying "I just
wasn't feeling it. . . . I didn't think the time
invested was ever going to pay off for me in
fighting."
"I just went back to work and I started to get
out of shape so I went back to the gym and once
I hit the gym again, I was like 'yeah I've got
to do this, I've got to fight again and that was
that."
School Of Hard
Knocks
While good on the ground, Day was weak on his
feet but says times have changed. He started
paying attention to the standup game after
losing to Valimaki in September 2006.
"When I first started, it was so bad and I
lacked the confidence and the skills and I had
no interest in standing up," Day explained.
"Valimaki actually dislocated my jaw. That's
when I decided I better learn how to move my
head and start boxing some."
Adding to the pain, Day's teeth went through his
lip. He kept fighting but two minutes later
Valimaki hit him in the same spot and he tapped
out.
"It still clicks now and then and it's painful,"
Day said of his jaw. "I probably should have got
it fixed right, but that's not really the
attitude of a fighter."
Committed To Build Houses All Day Then Train For
Hours
That kind of attitude makes Day a dangerous
opponent, says Mein.
"He's one of these guys that works all day,
building houses and then comes in and trains
three hours straight and then goes home. Most
guys, physically and mentally, couldn't keep up
that schedule alone, just training and working,
let alone fight world-class guys so he's very
mentally tough."
While contracts mean little in the UFC the
organization can essentially dump a fighter if
he loses Belcher is a known quantity. Day is
fighting to stick around. His biography on the
UFC website remains empty, with a "photo coming
soon" notation.
Mein is confident they'll be plenty to write
about soon. Day's UFC journey is just beginning.
"He wants to be the best in the world, he
doesn't just want to be in the UFC," he said.
UFC
Jay Day
Debut :: Day vs Belcher
jay day on belcher
"He's up there," Day said of Belcher's status in
the 185-pound ranks. "I think beating him will
definitely get me a lot of recognition and
credibility right off the bat, so I couldn't ask
for a better first fight in the UFC."
belcher on jay day
As for Belcher, he is unfazed by switching his
sights from Cote to Day. While saying all the
right things about his opponent "He's a tough
guy and I really respect him a lot." he says Day
does not necessitate any special preparation.
"There's not one thing that he's going to be
just better than me at or that I need to work
on," Belcher (12-4) said matter-of-factly from
his home in Biloxi, Miss.
mein on both
"I think Jay's got
a lot of attributes that are better than Alan
Belcher's, especially his ground game," Mein
added. "Alan Belcher's obviously comfortable
standing and I think Jay can hang with him
standing as well."
about jay day
Jay (Dooms) Day is the 28-year-old middleweight
from Lethbridge, Alta., and
coach
Lee Mein managed to buy tickets for the April 19
mixed martial arts card at Montreal's Bell
Centre. But Day went from spectator to
participant when an injury to Patrick (The
Predator) Cote opened up a spot on the undercard
against Alan (The Talent) Belcher.
Day (16-5) spent a long time fighting his way
into the UFC, training at night after spending
long days building houses. The UFC had him on
its radar, telling him to keep fighting and
winning. His invitation would come.
"I definitely took the long route, I can
honestly say I earned my spot," Day said in an
interview. "Nose to the grindstone, I had to
beat a ton of guys to get there. I've only lost
twice in the last two years to Cote and (Victor)
Valimaki. That's a lot of wins to put together."
Since December 2005, his record is 14-2.
Recent victims include David (The Crow) Loiseau,
Jonathan Goulet and Ron Faircloth, all of whom
fought in the UFC. Goulet is on the Montreal
card while Loiseau, Day's most recent victory,
once fought for the 185-pound title.
about belcher
Belcher, who turns 24 five days after UFC 83,
got into the sport young, taking part in his
first amateur fight at 15 "I fought a grown man
in a fight night at a (sports) bar that my coach
put on," he recalled.
He didn't suffer his first loss until he was 18
and wasn't choosy about who he fought when he
turned pro. A 16-man tournament in South Korea
in July 2005 probably wasn't the wisest choice,
he acknowledges today. Neither was a subsequent
fight with Marvin (The Beastman) Eastman in
September 2005.
"He exposed my weakness right off the bat. I'd
never wrestled a day in my life and the guy took
me down over and over, said Belcher, who has
since moved down a weight class to middleweight.
"So it's something I've been working on ever
since then. Now I like to fancy myself as having
pretty good takedown defence."
After losing to Eastman, Belcher ran off seven
straight wins and was admitted to the UFC, where
he ran into current middleweight contender
Yushin Okami and lost. He is 3-1 since in the
Octagon, losing only to Kendall Grove.
"Alan's an exciting guy and he's got a lot of
skills," says fellow fighter Rich Clement, who
used to train and manage Belcher. "The best
attribute Alan probably has is that he's young.
He's got a great career ahead of him. I picture
him being in the UFC a long time."
A former baseball player at Dyersburg State
Community College in Tennessee, Belcher was
labelled The Talent by training partners because
of his ability to pick things up quickly.
"I like to work hard also, sometimes it's kind
of aggravating," Belcher said. "I don't care
much for my nickname, I'd rather not have one."
