STAY TUNED EP. 2 — UGP 27 EDITION

ATLANTA — Union Grand Prix will be celebrating the United States Independence Day 24 hours early as they host UGP 27 in the ATL. I’m dubbing it “The Night of the Cruiserweights”, as we have the entire quarter finals scheduled for the Triple C GP. I got the opportunity to chat with two men who will be competing in the tournament, the rising star, José Meléndez, and G2 Grand Champion Gauge Lattimore. We touched on a number of topics, so please, sit back and enjoy.

ISAAC COHEN

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here with the man coming off a huge main event victory at Boss Fight XXV, and currently sitting as the number two ranked Cruiserweight with an unblemished 4-0 record, the taco aficionado, José “Gas Tank” Meléndez. How are you doing today, good sir?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

‘Am doin’ great, life is good… everythin’ is good, man.

ISAAC COHEN

José, as I’ve mentioned, you’ve quietly been rising in the rankings, currently sitting at number two. Have you felt slighted that there hasn’t been more buzz about your ascension?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

Uhh, not really. I mean, ‘am not the smoothest talker out there. I don’t like to talk trash an’ all that. So I feel it’s natural that for most people I would fly under the radar. I understan’ that, but I also feel my style of fightin’; the dog in me, well that’s interestin’ to many.

ISAAC COHEN

One person that you have grabbed their attention, and quite frankly it’s the only one that truly matters, el jefe, Dante Reed. He took notice and slotted you in for a Boss Fight Main Event against a two-time title challenger, Ardan Kelly. How did it feel not just getting that call for a main event fight, but to win in such a manner that you did?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

As I said, my style, the dog in me is always lookin’ for a fight. Always lookin’ for a challenge an’ Ardan Kelly certainly was a challenge for me. So, to get that call… to get that win, it really means a lot. ‘Am not a guy that tries to drive all the attention to him, I just want to enjoy what I do for however lon’ I can do it. So, yeah it was the biggest win of my career thus far an’ I hope it’s not the last “big” win I get.

ISAAC COHEN

So now the top contenders of the 225 pound division are going to compete in a Grand Prix to decide the next title challenger. What were your initial thoughts when Roscoe Robinson made the announcement of the Triple C GP?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

If ‘am bein’ honest… that made me feel more slighted than not gettin’ any buzz. I know my record is not all that; but if at Heavyweight a relative newcomer like me is considered a number one contender an’ has his title fight set after the ‘dream fight’... why I have to go thru a whole tournament to get it? But ‘am not the man with the belt an’ ‘am not the man who makes the decisions. So, I’ll enjoy the thin’ for however lon’ I last in it.

ISAAC COHEN

In the first round, you’re matched up with former Everest Welterweight Champion Lovelie Saint-Cyr. His Union GP debut didn’t produce the results he would have liked, and some question his decision to move up so high in weight. What’s your take on him?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

He’s a decent fighter, but he lacks conditionin’ I’ve seen his fights thus far an’ the one consistent thin’ is that he tends to gas out the longer the fight goes. Maybe the move in weight, basically jumpin’ two weight classes is hurtin’ him. I dunno, ‘am not a doctor or a conditionin’ expert; but that’s what I’ve seen. I know it’ll be a good fight, I know I’ll enjoy the dance an’ I know Lovelie will enjoy the experience. But that’s my thin’; it’s not out of malice or anythin’... if anythin’ I want him to be the best version of himself so, that’s why I brin’ the conditionin’ thin’.

ISAAC COHEN

In my opinion, and this isn’t to discredit any of the other fighters, but your half of the bracket is brutal. What’s the road look like for José Meléndez to reach the finals and win that title shot and big money purse?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

I dunno, all I know is I have Saint-Cyr next. If I win it’s pick your poison between the #1 contender in Michael Santos an’ the Yamashi Gran’ Champion an’ basically a heavyweight in Lattimore. So, as I said ‘am gonna enjoy the dance for however lon’ I can vibe to it.

ISAAC COHEN

Are there any match ups you are excited for, either as a fighter or spectator?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

There are a couple fights that interest me. Hughes v. James seems like a good match up in my eyes, Santos v. Lattimore is interestin’ if nothin’ because it’s a power v. power type of affair. But to be honest, it’s a tomeito-tomatoh type of deal… in the en’ all that matters is how we prepare for each roun’.

ISAAC COHEN

José, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to answer some questions. Before I let you go, do you have any final words for the listeners or potential opponents?

JOSÉ MELÉNDEZ

Not really; just for ‘em to watch the fights an’ enjoy the ride.

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ISAAC COHEN

And now ladies and gentlemen, I am here with the G2 Grand Champion himself. A man who is on an incredible fourteen fight win streak, the one and only Gauge Lattimore. Gauge, this will be your Union GP debut. In Everest, you competed at heavyweight, and you're listed as a heavyweight on the official Union GP roster, and yet, you will be competing in the Cruiserweight Championship Contender Grand Prix. What’s the reasoning behind entering the tournament?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

First off, thank you for having me, Isaac. You know, you might think it’s for the cliche championship aspirations, which yeah that’s true in part. But above all else, I’m looking for the big money fights. That’s why I’m in this. I wanna fight the Santos’, the Meléndez’s, the Roscoe’s… And, I wanna fight the Dog Face’s, the Volkov’s, the Fisk’s, hell maybe even the Rozier’s of the MMA world. I’m here to make bank first and foremost, the hardware is just a nice byproduct of the journey.

ISAAC COHEN

Interesting little nugget there. You’d be open to compete against your fellow campmate. Follow up question. As I said, you’ve only fought at either heavyweight or openweight in your sixteen fights. Has the journey to cut to 225 affected your performance during your camp?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

No I don’t believe so. Ever since this tournament was announced, I’ve been steadily cutting weight. I’ve been working with the best nutritionists around at 9th World and they’ve put me on a great regimen. I’ve been doing a little more cardio, but I think that will only benefit me. I have no doubts that I’ll be at my peak when it’s time to fight.

ISAAC COHEN

Even though you’re still somewhat new to the scene, you’ve been very active and you’re well traveled. You’ve competed in Triumph, Everest, G2, and now Union. With the win streak you’re on right now, have you had any new contract talks with Dante Reed?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

Nah, I know I’m still up and coming, so I’ll honor what I signed. I know I could probably push for a few extra zeros after sitting Fisk down twice in G2, but I’m gonna make my case here and finish this deal out, and then when the time comes to talk, they’ll be backing up the Brinks truck. Imma have to holla at the agent of the stars, Levi Dillinger. Ha. Where you at, Levi?!

ISAAC COHEN

You’ve got quite the challenge ahead of you in this tournament. But first, give me your take on your first opponent, Michael Santos.

GAUGE LATTIMORE

I respect the guy in all honesty. He’s like the rest of the folks at Throne. He just keeps to himself, trains, and fights. You’re not gonna get no headline grabbing hot takes outta him, but he’s a real threat in the cage. He hits hard, but so do I. I think the biggest difference is gonna be the speed. He’s kinda slow out there, so I feel like my volume will be the x-factor.

ISAAC COHEN

Who do you see as the biggest threat in the tournament?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

Me.

But outside of that, it’s hard to say. There’s a lot of guys in this who bring a lot to the table. But after what I saw, I think José is a dark horse. Nobody is really talking about him but he’s put on performances worthy of a money bonus every time he’s stepped in the cage. And then you got Reggie James. That dude has got some crazy good submission skills. My only two losses were my first two pro fights and they were by submission. So if I line up against him, I know I have to keep the fight standing.

ISAAC COHEN

When you were interviewed at UGP 26, you mentioned that you want to stay active and take fights at Heavyweight and Cruiserweight, but what about Openweight? Is there any legitimate interest in competing in the Openweight division here in Union GP?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

Absolutely. Why not? If that opens up the doors for me to fight a big name like Delaney Donovan or Robert Guilliman, then sign me up. Like I said before, I want that paycheck, and I want all the smoke.

ISAAC COHEN

So would you be interested in a third fight against Daniel Fisk?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

I know I’ve rattled him twice now, but if he wants to come back for a third trip? Just send me location!

ISAAC COHEN

How did you feel about your performance in both of those fights against Fisk?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

That first fight, I was nervous as hell. I strung six wins straight in the G2 WFL up to that point, but I knew that was going to be the biggest test. I mean the guy is a legend. He’s been around since the Wild West days, he’s a Hall of Famer, he’s won numerous tournaments. But again, I felt like my high octane offense would be the difference maker. If I could get the slightest edge over him and just never let off, I felt like I had a chance. The second time around I wasn’t as nervous, but I knew he was out for revenge. I did it once and I knew I could do it again. Not gonna lie, I got a little caught up in the moment, trying to go for that standing guillotine. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking, but once we got on the ground I managed to get his back and flatten him out. From that point I was really just trying not to do something stupid and get myself into trouble.

ISAAC COHEN

What’s the latest on the G2 Rumble Room?

GAUGE LATTIMORE

You’re asking the wrong person on that. I wasn’t informed prior to that announcement and I haven’t been told any details on it. But the higher ups thought they needed to “provide a much-needed shock to the system.” I don’t care what the stipulations are. I’m gonna keep hunting for those big money fights and cash them checks.

ISAAC COHEN

No one can blame you there, Gauge. Nobody ever knows how much time they have in this sport, and you definitely want to cash out as much as you can while you still can. I think we’ll end it on that. I’d like to thank you once again for taking the time to speak with me. Before I let you go, the floor is yours for any final words.

GAUGE LATTIMORE

All I gotta say is make sure you all tune in on July 3rd to see an amazing show. The cruiserweight division is filled with some beasts and the best are gonna be on display. Mark your calendars. Set your timers. Don’t miss out on it!