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UFC fighter returns to Fisticuffs

Australian prepares at Vancouver gym for his next bout

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: March 16, 2010, 12:00am

George Sotiropoulos enjoyed the enthusiastic support of fans in his homeland.

But the work done in his adopted home was more significant to his Feb. 20 win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 110 in Australia.

The Australian moved to Vancouver in the fall to focus on training for his battle with Stevenson. He credits Leonard Gabriel of Fisticuffs Gym in Vancouver for sharpening his boxing skills, and said moving to Vancouver from Las Vegas helped him to focus his training.

“Leonard at Fisticuffs is bringing out the best in me,” Sotiropoulos said last week, shortly after returning to Vancouver to begin training for his next fight.

The unanimous decision over Stevenson in Sydney improved Sotiropoulos to 5-0 in Ultimate Fighting championships events. He is considered a rising star in the UFC, and his most recent win kept him on a trajectory to perhaps challenge for the UFC 155-pound title within the next year.

The next UFC fight for Sotiropoulos will likely take place in July, though it has not yet been announced.

He said he knew the fight against Stevenson would be a test, but he also knew he was prepared.

A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Sotiropoulos said he was confident he would match Stevenson’s strength as a wrestler.

“Because I prepared for all aspects of the fight, I was ready to fight standing or on the ground,” Sotiropoulos said.

“I basically had an answer for everything he did,” Sotiropoulos said. “No matter where the fight went whether he took it there or I took it there, I had an answer for everything.”

And he answered the enthusiastic support from the Australian fans with a convincing win.

“It was incredible,” Sotiropoulos said of the atmosphere. “The crowd, I’ve never heard such a loud, vocal audience. They gave me their complete support.”

As much as he enjoyed the celebrity treatment in Australia, Sotiropoulos said he plans to remain in Vancouver. In addition to training with Gabriel at Fisticuffs, he trains at Impact Jiu-Jitsu in Beaverton, Ore., and does some sparring with fighters at Team Qwest in Gresham, Ore.

“I plan to stay here,” he said. “I like it here. It’s really one of the nicest places I’ve been.”

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter