By FCF Staff
In anticipation of Strikeforce’s latest Challengers card this Friday in Stockton, the promotion held an open workout yesterday at the Cesar Gracie Academy, with scheduled competitors Justin Wilcox, Josh Thornburg, Damion Douglas and his brother David on hand. (Pictured: Wilcox)
Wilcox is returning for the first time since his unanimous decision win over Vitor Ribeiro in November, and will take on another veteran lightweight in Rodrigo Damm. The bout will headline the Challenger’s event, which will be broadcast on Showtime.
The Cesar Gracie fighter Thornburg will meet Cung Le student James Terry in a 165lb. catch-weight tilt, while Thornburg’s teammates Damion and David Douglas will face welterweight Wayne Phillips and lightweight Caros Fodor respectively.
Here is some of what all each man had to say at the open workout about their fights Friday.
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| David Douglas |
David Douglas
“As long as I keep it standing, he’s done in the first round. He’s a Jiu Jitsu guy, not a striker. He may be decent at striking, but he’s not on my level. It’s going to be bad for him on Friday. I’m going to push my will and put on the fight of the night again. I’m going to destroy my opponent.”
On fighting near his hometown: “Everybody knows who I am out here, so I’m the fan favorite. This is my backyard. A lot of people are coming out to see me.”
“I think I put on crazy fights all of the time. I fight really hard and ferociously. I don’t think anyone really pushes the pace like I do. A lot of people fight to score points, but I come out to destroy them.”
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| Damion Douglas |
Damion Douglas
On fighting on the same card as his twin brother: “People are taking to us a lot. We’re making history because we’re the first twins to fight on a televised card together. That goes down in the books so it’s exciting.”
“I’m typically a counter-fighter. I hit hard and bang a lot. I’m always in the fight, being aggressive. Most of my fights don’t last long. Hopefully, he can go a little longer and take it, so people can see my skills and strengths. If he goes out early, though, he goes out early. That’s just the way it goes.”
On his opponent: “He hasn’t been stopped yet and his losses have all been by decision. I like that because that means he comes to fight.”
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| Josh Thornburg |
Josh Thornburg
“I think this fight fits me pretty well. I’m really confident. I’ve gotten to watch (Terry) fight a few times. He’s fought some of my teammates. He’s kind of a pace fighter – he likes to push the pace and jump in and out. I think I’ll get the better of him standing up and, if it goes to the ground, I think I’ll get the better of him.”
On returning to the cage less than 30 days after his previous fight, a hard-fought decision loss to top prospect Roger Bowling: “To me, it’s not difficult at all. I’ve fought several times back to back to back. I don’t really take time off from the gym so it’s not like I was away from training. If anything, I think it’s more of a good thing.”
On the benefits of training with Team Cesar Gracie: “I think I’ve benefited a lot as far as learning stuff they have to teach. Nick (Diaz), Nate (Diaz), Gilbert (Melendez) and Jake (Shields) are all ranked top in the world. Training with guys like that can only make you better. They all have a lot of knowledge to share with guys like me who are coming up underneath them.”
Justin Wilcox
On his opponent: “I know he’s a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and he’s on Brazil’s national wrestling team He’s a real scrappy kid. He’s tough and a game fighter so it should be a good fight.”
On how far away he feels he is from a title shot: “As soon as Strikeforce thinks I’m ready, I’ll be more than ready to take it. I got into the sport to become a world champ and I feel like I’m well-rounded enough now. I’ve got two years behind me at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), training with a bunch of world-class fighters so I think my skills are refined enough to the point that I can become champ.”
