Jared Hamman - More Than Just Heart
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- Category: UFC News
- Published on Wednesday, 10 August 2011 05:00
- Written by By Jordan Newmark
Jared Hamman loves to fight.
If there is one thing that UFC fans can assume about a two-time “Fight of the Night” winner, it’s that. But for “The Messenger,” that’s not enough. In his next trip to the Octagon, Hamman wants to show that not only does he love to fight, but that he knows how to fight like a professional and he’s good at it. The next opportunity for him to prove himself in the cage is this Sunday against CB Dollaway. Yet before that can happen, Hamman’s first true opponent is the scale, and dropping 20 pounds to become a UFC middleweight.
“I just enjoy fighting,” exudes Hamman. “I don't how to explain it, but I just want to keep fighting until they tell me I can't anymore. Whether it is 185 or 205. I didn't think I was feeling much pressure at 205, like I was getting held down or getting thrown around; the change was for me. It was about being a professional in every aspect of the game and right now that is cutting weight. I just thoroughly enjoy the process. Fighting is awesome and it is fun. Heavyweight, light heavyweight or now middleweight, it's just the enjoyment of fighting.”
At 29 years old, Hamman is preparing to weigh-in at the lightest he’s been since he was a junior in high school to square off with The Ultimate Fighter season 7 finalist, Dollaway. “I feel absolutely amazing,” says Hamman, who gives most of the credit to his dietician, P.R. Cole, for this new him. “At 205, I thought I had a great gas tank. At 185, my gas tank is awesome. My strength and conditioning has been off the charts.”
The idea to drop from light heavyweight to middleweight had been in the back of Hamman’s mind. But it wasn’t until his jiu-jitsu coach, Henry Akins, suggested it while Hamman was injured following a loss to Kyle Kingsbury last September that the plan was put into motion. Although he began his fight career at heavyweight, Hamman was only 220 pounds and he forced himself to eat to even make that. To be a 205er, Hamman never had to cut more than a couple pounds or keep to a diet. The move to middleweight was as much about taking every advantage as he could as it was for Hamman to feel like he was a professional fighter by forcing himself to cut weight.
“After that loss to Kyle, I was like what can I do to get better and what can I do to improve,” said Hamman. “With my diet, I've never had to eat strictly. I wouldn't eat junk food, but I wasn't on a diet plan or calorie counting. With 185, this is going to force me to be more disciplined as a professional athlete. I can't take any shortcuts if I want to cut down to 185. I have to do it in a professional manner. I need every advantage I can get and cutting weight was going to make me disciplined and I liked that.”
