Rob Sinclair on his CG Fight and Paul Sass
hurtbusiness caught up with Rob Sinclair after his second round TKO win over Alexandre Izidro at Cage Gladiators XII: Immortals. (report on main site)
The CG champ had been due to fight Paul Sass, but injury caused the unbeaten up and comer to pullout. The two outstanding lightweights are now due to meet later in the year.
Can you talk me through the fight from your point of view?
When I came out, I wanted to take a few shots because I haven’t really taken many shots in my career. I just wanted to feel him out first, get into the fight a little bit. As soon as I got into it; I realised that he probably didn’t have as much power as I expected. Then I stepped it up a bit and went in for the kill.
Was it difficult for you that your opponent got changed?
Yes and no. He was a submission guy. The same sort of thing; probably wants it on the ground, but Izidro’s the kind of person who jumps for submissions so you’ve got to be a bit more aware. Paul Sass sets things up a little bit and he creeps for submissions. Nothing really changed in training though.
As well as taking a few shots, you spent a bit of time on your back in the first. It’s a position we don’t see you in very often; were you happy with the way you handled it?
Yeah- I nearly caught him didn’t I. I’m actually decent off my back- it’s just I never seem to end up there. I nearly caught him but he got out of it.
In the second round- you really stepped it up and hunted him down. Were you happy about the way it finished?
I knew I could catch him. He drops the left hand quite a lot and we worked on that. I watched him do it recently- he got caught with an overhand right. I caught him with the overhand right and I dropped him. I don’t remember throwing the shot to honest. I just saw him on the floor and unloaded from there and fortunately I finished him.
Now Sass is on the horizon. Everybody who has fought him has been watching for the triangle. What are you going to do that’s different to everyone else he’s ever fought?
I think the thing is: everyone has an idea of what he wants to do so people defend the triangle choke. When it’s half coming on- people let it come on then try and escape it instead of not getting there in the first place. I’m pretty difficult to sub anyway. It’ll be a good fight.
Excluding those fighting on international shows; would you say that this is the unofficial British lightweight championship?
We’ve got to get it on haven’t we. He’s walked through everyone he’s fought to be fair. Beaten them in the first round, except for Jason Ball who was a bit unlucky. It should be a good fight.
Many people would look at it as: will you be able to pound him out before he gets a triangle. Is that the way you see it?
Yeah. He’s got to take a shot to get close in. Can he take a shot? I don’t know.
