Danny Castillo Talks Preparing Josh Emmett For His UFC on FOX 26 Fight With Ricardo Lamas

– Danny Castillo recently spoke with MMA Junkie Radio about preparing Josh Emmett tonight’s UFC on FOX 26 fight with Ricardo Lamas. Here are the highlights…

On Preparing Josh Emmett: “The preparation for Lamas – we didn’t really have too much time. But once we heard about the fight, I thought it was the perfect fight for Josh being that I fought Ricardo Lamas way back in the day in the WEC, and also Chad (Mendes) fought him in the UFC. We have a little bit of history with Lamas, and I think it’s the perfect matchup for Josh Emmett.”

On Feeling Emmett Can Win: “He’s really fast and explosive,” Castillo said. “You’ve never really gotten to see his wrestling so much because he has so much power in his hands. He’s a very dynmaic striker and can switch orthodox to southpaw. He’s got great footwork, as well, and those are what’s going to give Ricardo Lamas a lot of trouble. I’m not taking Ricardo Lamas lightly. I’ve fought him, and he’s been in the game for so long – over a decade. But this is definitely a fight we can win, and I’m excited for it.”

On Transitioning Away From Fighting: I’m just enjoying what I’m doing, so I don’t see fighting this year or the next year,” Castillo said. “I’m 38 now. I’m OK with what I do in the sport. I didn’t reach some of the goals I set for myself before I started my career, but sometimes it’s not in the books for certain athletes. “For me, it’s some of the experiences I did have that helped me become a better coach. All along, I think maybe it was just written in the books to make me a better coach and not a world champion in the UFC.”