Why keep going? It’s a recurring theme when talking about UFC 109. Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Matt Serra and Frank Trigg keep fighting in spite of all being over 35. Trigg loves the competition, the training and comraderie. He switched Las Vegas camps for this fight from Couture’s gym, Xtreme Couture to Cobra Kai.
"I’m seeing the same stuff in a different light," Trigg said of his work with new trainer Marc Laimon. "You’re teaching an old dog new tricks. It’s still kind of cool, still kind of neat."
On Monday, Trigg was sharing the mat with Jake Rosholt, Forrest Griffin, Shane Roller, Johny Hendricks and Vinny Magalhaes. It’s amazing what returning to the gym does to boost your enthusiasm for the game. Trigg was down in the dumps and contemplating retirement when he suffered a quick defeat at the hands of Josh Koscheck back in September. Now he’s talking about making a run over the next 12-24 months.
Trigg’s 16-year-old son Frankie also delivered a little perspective without even knowing he was motivating Dad.
Trigg overheard his son (1:15 mark) on the phone, "I heard him say how he likes what I do. He doesn’t really care whether I win or I lose. It’s just the fact that I put my nose to grindstone. From a pride aspect that’s kind of cool for me."
During his conversation with Cagewriter, Trigg wasn’t much into trash talking Serra, his opponent at UFC 109. Why bother? It’s unlikely to have any affect on the veteran fighter. But Trigg did bring up the question of who has more motivation. Serra owns several jiu-jitsu gyms on Long Island and appears to making be a nice living without stepping into the Octagon.
"When I’m punching him in the head, he’s going to be thinking in the back of his head, ‘You know, I can teach a couple more guys, make a lot of money doing that. Why am I going to keep getting punched in the face?’ "
Trigg pointed out that his situation is different. He wants to get into broadcasting when his fighting career is finished but right now he’s not exactly rolling in the dough. During the summer, Trigg signed a four-fight contract to return to the UFC. He thinks a second straight loss may mean the end of his second run with the promotion.
We also tossed around what’s in it for the winner? A win for Serra may earn him another shot at Matt Hughes. For Trigg, he just wants a win to get mentioned as a guy in the top 10. He said Trigg-Hughes III isn’t really desired by either fighter.