UFC QUOTABLES: Maiquel Falcao says UFC debut made him be too careful against Gerald Harris, promises change in style in next fight

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"My plan was to win more than anything. The UFC is the biggest event on the planet, and if you lose your first fight, you are very close to being fired. I was matched up with a very tough and skilled fighter in Gerald Harris, so I knew I could not make any mistakes and expect to get the win. That's why I was more careful than usual. I wanted to win so bad in my debut, but I knew that if I went too aggressive on the start against Gerald, he would take me down and give me a hard fight...

When I came to the third round, I knew I had dominated the action in the first two rounds, so I was expecting Gerald to come and try to knock me out. I was ready to counter and finish him when he missed, but it did not happen, and I kept waiting for it. When I realized he wasn't going to come forward, it was already the last 10 seconds of the fight. It won't happen in my next fight. I will finish it very early and then apologize to the fans across the world...

Dana's criticism was fair. People pay to watch big fights and not strategy games. I think that the fact it was my debut made me be too careful. I was only thinking about winning. I am very grateful to the UFC, Dana and (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva because they gave me the opportunity I have been waiting for all my life. I will pay them back with the fights they want to watch. You all can look forward to my next fight because now that the debut is over, I will go in there to finish the fights like I have always done in my career...

Sometimes just winning is not enough. Now that all the pressure of the UFC debut is gone I will be able to fight the way I like: finishing people and cementing my place in the elite of the middleweight division."

-Maiquel Falcao talks to MMAJunkie.com about fighting too cautiously in his UFC debut against Gerald Harris at UFC 123.

Penick's Analysis: Falcao knew he was ahead in that third round, so with the threat of cuts coming for even a single loss (as Harris would come to experience), I completely understand why Falcao played it safe. That said, he played a very dangerous game by not doing anything himself in that third round, because it wouldn't have been unlike the UFC to have cut both fighters regardless of the fact that he won if they hated that round. That said, I hope Falcao comes out and impresses in his next fight and doesn't play it entirely safe, because when he let loose on Harris at the end of the first round and for parts of the second, he showed a lot of excitement in his style and reason to want to see him fight again.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7639.shtml

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