Sam Sicilia: Doo Ho Choi 'hasn't punched anybody outside the octagon'

SEOUL – Sam Sicilia considers himself a natural fighter. He said he can’t put the same label on UFC Fight Night 79 opponent Doo Ho Choi.

Sicilia (15-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) said there’s a large difference between born fighters and those who picked up their instincts and abilities in a gym. He said Choi (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is the latter, and that’s just one reason why he’s so confident ahead of Saturday’s featherweight showdown.

“I see an athlete that was taught how to punch,” Sicilia told MMAjunkie. “He’s athletic. That’s what we’re here dealing with. I’m more geared toward a fight and a fighter. I’ve been hit. I guarantee he hasn’t punched anybody outside the octagon, for a real fight.

“That’s what I bring to the table, is I’m the fighter. We’re training for an athlete. I’m looking to do damage and shut him off. That day he’s my enemy. I don’t do the tap-gloves and bow-to-the-mats bullsh-t.”

UFC Fight Night 79 takes place on Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass with Sicilia vs. Choi opening the main card.

Sicilia’s confidence is unsurprising. For the first time in his UFC career and first time since 2012, he enters a fight on a winning streak. Sicilia has won his past two bouts and said the entirety of his game has clicked at the right time.

“That’s what we’ve been focusing on; putting it all together has always been my deal and what needed to happen,” Sicilia said. “I feel like my skillset has caught up to my mindset, and now we’re putting it all together. Now I’m the veteran as opposed to the guy feeling like I’m double-parked and I’ve got to get out of there.”

Although he’s fighting “The Korean Superboy” in South Korea, Sicilia doesn’t feel particularly troubled by Choi, he said. Despite the fact the 24-year-old has finished 10 of his 12 wins inside the distance, Sicilia said he isn’t impressed by Choi’s record or the betting odds that have the Korean as a 2.5-1 favorite.

“I don’t how I’m an underdog to a guy that’s beat up his local circuit and a chump and all this stuff,” Sicilia said. “Obviously they’re pumping up their Koreans down here because it’s in Korea. Go pump up your guy. When I shut him off, the stadium is going to be quiet, and I’ll collect my check and go home.”

A victory for Sicilia would give him a three-fight UFC winning streak, all of which came this year. Sicilia scored a highlight-reel knockout of Akira Corassani at UFC on FOX 14 in January and followed with a unanimous-decision victory over Yaotzin Meza at UFC Fight Night 71 in July.

Sicilia said another victory on his resume should put him in a strong enough position in the 145-pound division that the organization considers him for high-profile fights against notable opponents.

“I set goals now and really focus on how I’m going to achieve them,” Sicilia said. “I want to be 3-0 (this year), and I want this to be a finish. Next year my goal is to headline a show. And I’ve built a case to be undefeated in 2015 is a pretty good case. Give me a big fight. I want big fights. I expect big fights, but I want to headline a show next year.”

Check out the full interview above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 79, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.