Scott Jorgensen: I'm in a must-win situation every time I step in the cage

(This story first appeared at KTVB.com)

NATAL, Brazil – There’s a saying among the brass at the Ultimate Fighting Championship: Getting to the sport’s premier mixed martial arts promotion isn’t the hard part. Staying there is.

Boise’s Scott Jorgensen, who fought for the UFC title in 2010, understands that sentiment. But with two consecutive losses staring him in the face, the 31-year-old doesn’t believe there’s any added importance to his next appearance.

“It’s always a must-win,” Jorgensen told KTVB.COM. “People always talk about it like, ‘Oh, you’ve lost two. It’s a must-win.’ But in reality, every fight is a must-win. Nobody fights and comes out here and says, ‘I can lose this one. It’s OK.’ That’s ridiculous.

“I’m in a must-win situation every time I step in the cage. Anytime I do anything competitive, I’m in a must-win situation.”

On Sunday, Jorgensen (14-8) meets Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Jussier Formiga (15-3) at “UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2,” which takes place at Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The flyweight contest airs on the FOX Sports 1-televised (3 p.m. MT) preliminary card, which precedes the evening’s six-bout main card on the same channel (5 p.m. MT).

Formiga, who’s ranked No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports MMA flyweight rankings, boasts a submission game that is among the best in the sport at 125 pounds. But Jorgensen, who sits at No. 15 in the rankings, believes he should be favored in the matchup.

“I’ve fought the best in the world consistently,” Jorgensen said. “Everybody’s got their own challenges, but it doesn’t matter. He’s going to have to handle what I come in there with. He’s going to have to adjust and deal with my pressure from the top if we end up on the ground. He’s going to have deal with my power on the feet, my movement. He’s not going to be able to keep up. If I clinch him, he’s not going to be able to get away.

“I know at 125 pounds, I’m the strongest guy in the weight class. If I get on top of someone or get into a position of power, I’ve got this fight.”

In 2010, Jorgensen fought for the UFC’s inaugural bantamweight title, falling short in a five-round battle with Dominick Cruz. Jorgensen went 3-3 in his next six fights in the division before dropping to 125 pounds for a December fight with Zach Makovsky, who took the fight on less than two-weeks’ notice.

It was the third scheduled opponent for Jorgensen, who admits he overlooked his opponent prior to dropping a unanimous decision.

“There really wasn’t a problem, I just overlooked Makovsky,” Jorgensen admitted. “Going from Ian McCall to John Dodson and then a week before they switch it to Makovsky, and once that happened, I was just like, ‘OK, make weight. We’ve got this.’ To be honest, I was worried a lot during training camp since I was cutting to 125 pounds. I was worried about my weight, and as soon as they pulled Dodson, I didn’t worry so much about a fight. I just worried about making weight. It just distracted me.

“I went out there and I fought, and I don’t feel like I fought like I normally do – with evil intent. I let him win a couple of rounds, and I shouldn’t have.”

But weight won’t be a concern this time around. Jorgensen said he never let himself get over 142 pounds before starting his training camp for this fight.

“I have a great team behind me at Phase IV Sports Physiology that makes sure all my running and training is dialed in and everything is great,” Jorgensen said. “My weight wasn’t an issue this camp. Last camp, I checked my weight every morning, every lunch, every night. This time, I would check it maybe every two days. I trust my training program and that they’ll have me down to weight.”

There was no change of opponents this time around. Jorgensen knows he’s capable of making weight in his new division. The distractions, the challenges, are gone. All that’s left if for Jorgensen to prove he still belongs, even if he doesn’t see it as a must-win situation.

“I’ve got what I want to do, how I want to accomplish it,” Jorgensen said. “When I was in training camp, that’s what we worked on, and it doesn’t matter what he throws at me and what happens in the fight. I make my adjustments, I move, I hurt him. The only thing I’m going out there to do is put my knuckles on him.

“It’s all about getting the win. We’re going to start that climb to the top of 125 pounds and fight for the belt.”

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 38, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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