Ben Saunders Says He’s Still Got Plenty To Give To Fans

Ben Saunders spoke with MMAjunkie ahead of his fight with Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 131. Highlights are below:

On his future as a fighter: “I’m very happy with the way I’ve chosen my path. I’ve been very intelligent with how I’ve done my training and how I feel I’ve done my fights, for the most part. (I’ve) never blown my knees out, (I’ve) never had crazy surgeries. I’ve taken care of myself from a young age. I’ve done a lot of correct dieting. And, potentially, I’d say the biggest thing is – when I saw Michael Bisping get the title at 37 years old and defend it until recently and then finally retire. That just proved that it doesn’t matter what age limit you are – if you’ve got the skillset, the dedication and the mentality to push forward, then you can make it happen.”

On his two-fight losing skid: “I’ve said it since Day One – since Day One: Win, lose or draw, you’re going to get a fight. That’s what I bring to the table. I try to bring excitement. I know that’s what the fans want. The biggest thing I need to do is control my emotions and controlled aggression. I need to bring aggression in a controlled manner, as opposed to just being super chaotic.”

On Ellenberger: “If you look at his record, yeah, he’s had a lot of losses – but all those losses, for the most part, every single one of them were to top-5, top-10 contenders, past champions. They’re all the highest level, so I know where his skillset level is at. But I also know where mine’s at. If he wants to stand and bang, everyone knows I’m down with that. Everybody knows that, man, I come from a Dutch kickboxing style and I’m going to let eight limbs fly. I’ve got shins to the head, I’ve got knees to the face, I’ve got elbows, I’ve got punches. And if he wants to go to the ground, I’ve got slick, slick, slick, slick jiu-jitsu. I think I’ve got the best guard in the game, so it’s going to be a very very tough spot for him to try to win, as well.”