Mike Easton likes the WEC, but he is happy fighting for the UWC.
Many fighters can call themselves pit bulls in the ring, but the way Mike Easton explains it, his seems to be the most truthful.
“I’m short, stocky like a pit bull,” Easton said.
He also mentioned that he has the tenacity of one as well.
He specifically points to his lone career loss as a testament to his toughness.
Easton attempted to catch a kick from Reynaldo Durate which connected with Easton’s arm as Easton worked to counter. He managed to throw a counter cross, and wanted to follow up but he realized that something was wrong with his arm.
He stuffed two takedowns with the broken arm, before he was taken down and had a conversation with his corner, before having the towel thrown in.
Easton has fully recovered and since has reeled off a four-fight win streak.
The 5-foot-5, 135-pound Easton (8-1) will make his third defense of the Ultimate Warrior Challenge bantamweight title when he takes on Chase Beebe on Saturday at UWC 7.
Easton doesn’t expect Beebe to bring anything that he hasn’t prepared for. Easton is confident that if Beebe decides to try and take the fight to the ground, then he will use his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to counter it.
Easton can also stand and trade with Beebe, which is another thing Easton said he feels like he has an edge in.
“You’re going to see an excellent fight,” Easton said. “He likes to push the pace, and he likes to grind fights out. He likes to strike, which is not bad. I love to strike. I am a striker naturally.”
The fight was supposed to happen in February, but Beebe missed the weigh-in and Easton cruised to winning the title on that night.
Nearly seven months later, Easton finally gets his shot at arguably his stiffest competition to date.
He doesn’t have any ill will towards Beebe for missing the first fight.
“I’m not angry at all. I’m excited that it gave me more time to prepare for this fight,” Easton said. “He was a WEC champion. He’s an unbelievable fighter.”
One of the added benefits of a delayed fight is having more time to spend with Master Lloyd Irvin — a camp he called one of MMA’s best kept secrets. Team Lloyd Irvin spreads across the country where he helps train top fighters such as UFC’s Brandon Vera.
The two have a close relationship, and when Easton suffered the broken arm against Duarte, Irving paid for the reconstruction of the elbow.
“I’d die for Master Lloyd,” Easton said. “I’ve seen tapes and footage of him beating up one of the Noguerias and breaking one of their ankles. He used to beat up on Ricardo Arona sparring. … I’ve seen this on video and these guys are legends.”
Easton has been contacted the by WEC, but he isn’t quite ready to leave the UWC, despite him admitting that the WEC has many of the best 135-pounders around, including his friend Dominick Cruz who is coming off of a victory over previously unbeaten Joseph Benavidez at WEC 42.
“UWC is my home,” Easton said. “They’re paying me. If Master Lloyd tells me to go, that’s when I go. … I’m not in a rush. I do like the WEC.”
He looks to increase the profile of lighter weight fighters. He said he hopes that other organizations give credit to the smaller fighters.
“It’s time for the little guys,” Easton said. “We’re more exciting. We do some off the wall stuff that people never seen before. They say, ‘Man, what in the world is that.’
“We have the best balance. We don’t ever stop. We’re fighting and win, lose or draw, we give it our all.”
