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Vaughan Lee: UFC Fight Night Macao Post Fight Interview
by Ben Heather @benheather
Last weekend in Macao Vaughan Lee squared off against Nam Phan, going in to the fight it was thought the fight would be a very closely contested bout. However, what happened in Macao could be described as the best performance of Lee's career as he outclassed Phan from start to finish. Now back in the UK Kingdom MMA caught up with Vaughan to talk about his fight and look to the future.
Ben: Firstly congratulations on what must be described as a near perfect performance. When did you fly back to the UK and did you have chance to do some sightseeing in Macao?
Lee: I flew back the day after the fight, and yeah I got to sight see quite a bit, I loved it.
Ben: Have you had chance to watch the fight back and if so, how did you rate your performance?
Lee: Yeah I've watched it 100 times lol, I'd rate my performance 8-9/10
Ben: How far ahead of your fight did you fly out to China to acclimatise?
Lee: We flew out one week before mainly to get over the jet lag and acclimatise.
Ben: Going in to the fight, what was the game plan and were you worried at all about any part of Phan's game?
Lee: I wasn't worried about anything, I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, I was just in the moment of the fight.
Ben: You started out in the first round with your hands really low and stayed like this for most of the fight, was this a psychological move to show Phan that you were not worried about his punches?
Lee: I kept my hands low so that I could use my head movement and just feel loose, not really a psychological tactic but more for comfort.
Ben: Your head and foot movement in the first round was immaculate it left Phan looking second rate and meant you were able to close the 4" reach advantage with ease and work your shots. Did you find it easier than expected to work from close range and get in and out without taking any punishment?
Lee: well anyone that trains with me knows that that's the way that I spar in the gym. I love to stay in the pocket and slip, dodge and counter punches and kicks from close quarters. So doing it in the UFC made me happy.
Ben: You also mixed up all your strikes working punches to the head/ body and legs as well as your kicks was this to constantly keep Phan from guessing where the next attack was coming from?
Lee: Yes to keep him guessing but also to make him hesitant and desperate at the same time. This exposed the holes in his game.
Ben: Would you say that first round was the best round of your MMA career? Complete dominance from you from start to finish.
Lee: Yes I would say it was my best performance to date.
Ben: Did it matter to you at all that you couldn't find the finish which would have been the cherry on the top for this performance?
Lee: It would have been great to get the finish and maybe I would have rated my performance a 10/10 if I had.
Ben: We recently interviewed Phil Harris and he said "Vaughan performed like he does in training, for me it was the performance of the night" how does it feel to receive such great compliments from a fellow fighter?
Lee: Naturally it feels great hearing stuff like that because it's the truth, like he said that's how I perform in training it's just having the confidence to do it in the octagon in front of the world.
Ben: Headlining the event was another UK fighter, John Hathaway. Did you manage to catch up with him while you was in Macao before and/ or after the fights? If after what did you say to him and did he seem ok? After all, after being knocked out like that our first thought was for his health and we all hoped that he was ok.
Lee: Yeah I caught up with John a few times and had chats but they weren't really related to our fights but more about what we're going to eat and drink after we weigh-in and how we think our boys are going to get on in London.. I caught up with him after the fight also and he seemed fine to be in high spirits.
Ben: You have now had 6 fights in the UFC bouncing between wins and losses. Do you think now you are in a good position to push for a win streak of the back of this performance?
Lee: If I can step into the Octagon with the same mentality as I did in Macau then I believe I can beat anybody.
Ben: Since joining the UFC you have fought in your home town of Birmingham, Japan, USA, London, Brazil and now China. What's it like to travel the world and do the job you love doing?
Lee: I'm living my dream, but sometimes living your dream is the hardest and scariest thing to do.
Ben: It could be said that two of your best performances in the UFC have been on events in Asia. First submitting Yamamoto in Japan and now outclassing Phan in Macao. Do you know what it is about fighting in Asia that seems to help your performance?
Lee: I believe it stems from being a little boy dreaming about fighting in Asia, the birth place of martial arts.
Ben: What's next for you, are you still planning to drop to 125 which was talked about before the fight? Or after such a dominant display can we see you sticking about at 135??
Lee: I'm still considering it.
Ben: If you could pick your next fight, who would it be and why?
Lee: To be honest I don't "want" to fight anyone in particular, but I'll fight anyone.
Ben: Did you come away from the fight injury free, if so when would you like to get back in to the octagon?
Lee: I'd love to get a win on the Ireland card being half Irish myself.
Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors??
Lee: I'd like to thank Bad Boy, USN, The mouth guard shop, Jamie Reynolds and everyone at the UTC, Gym01 and Triquest gym
Thank you for your time Vaughan, we hope you get your wish and we see you next in Ireland.
