UFC 217's James Vick OK with some nerves but thinks some peers are 'straight-up scared'

If you’re dealing with a particularly acute case of pre-fight jitters, it’s probably best not to count on James Vick for emotional support.

This Saturday, at UFC 217, Vick (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) meets fellow lightweight Joseph Duffy (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC). It will be Vick’s ninth octagon outing and, the way he sees it, yet another chance to “live his dream.” Going out there and performing in front of an audience, Vick says, is what he trains for every day.

So, when he gets the impression that some of his colleagues would “back out in the last minute” if possible, Vick has a bit of a tough time conjuring up sympathy.

“It sounds funny, but it’s crazy how many fighters aren’t real fighters,” Vick told MMAjunkie Radio ahead of his FS1-televised preliminary card scrap. “I’ve seen it in the back warming up with some of these guys. They look like they’re (expletive) scared to death, like someone almost has to put a gun to their head to get them to walk to the cage.

“To me, that’s a sign of mental weakness. You shouldn’t be that scared or that nervous. That’s a joke to me.”

Now, Vick is not saying he’s never nervous.

“But some of these guys are just straight-up scared,” Vick said.

As an example, Vick presented his own case. When Beneil Dariush knocked him out in the first round of their UFC 199 appointment, putting an end to Vick’s five-fight UFC streak and overall undefeated record, it was “the most humiliating day” of his life.

Still, Vick came back. And faced with the menacing Abel Trujillo at UFC Fight Night 104, he made the most of it – walking away with a third-round submission win and snapping Trujillo’s three-fight streak. He even ate some hard shots in the process.

The conclusion?

“Some fighters can handle (expletive),” Vick said. “Some people can’t. That’s just my opinion.”

Keeping a cool head will certainly be a valuable asset on Saturday. After all, not only can a win over Duffy finally earn him some rankings love, but this will also mean his first time fighting at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

Again, Vick is not expecting the emotions to be absent as he makes his walkout then. But, once the idea does sink in, he believes they’ll mostly be positive ones.

“I guess when I get there, and I see everything, it’s probably going to hit me,” Vick said. “And I’m going to be like a little kid in a candy store. Just excited, you know.”

For more on UFC 217, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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