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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"[It was] very difficult [to pull out of UFC 118]. First off, I really want to fight. It's a big show -- first one in Boston. It would have been great. The card is huge, and maybe I could have a good fight and get on TV. Get some exposure. I need it now badly. I'm left out of a lot of sh** nowadays. I'm forgotten at the expos and appearances. Just everything with the UFC. I wanted to win a big fight, look impressive and get considered again. I wanted to say, 'Hey Dana, I'm still f**king here. I still can fight.' I wanted to say it to everyone: the fans, the media. I'm still Phil f**king Baroni. That used to mean something. I want it to mean something again. I want to say, 'Hey Strikeforce, you made a big mistake letting me go. You f**ked up. You blew it. I'm still somebody, and I still bring things to the table that not many fighters do.'
I just want to be a contender. I want respect from my peers, the fans, media and the promotions. I wanted to say, 'I'm still here, don't f**king forget about me. I'm not dead yet. I want to be a contender -- I want to matter again. I want to be the biggest comeback story ever -- a Cinderella Man. It's not depression, but I'm going through my share of problems like a lot of people in Vegas and across the country with foreclosure, money ... everything. I'm almost in the same position I was 10 years ago, but now the window of opportunity is closing. I don't want to be here when it shuts with none of my goals accomplished and all my dreams dead. I still have a little time, and I want to shove them all through the window with me. It's a million-to-one shot, but, hey, Rocky did it."
-Phil Baroni talks to Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com about the difficulties in pulling out of his UFC 118 fight with John Salter due to injury and his desire to return to his former glory.
Penick's Analysis: Baroni's a very emotional fighter who has had a very tumultuous career. To hear his lamentations definitely makes you feel sorry for him for this latest injury. It's clear this fight meant a lot to him, and though it's definitely a major long shot for him to make a serious return to relevance in the welterweight division, he'll still be afforded the opportunity. Hopefully he can heal his injuries and come into his next fight as close to 100% as possible, for what will likely be his final chance to prove he can still pick up wins.
RELATED STORY: UFC NEWS: Dan Miller steps in for Phil Baroni against John Salter at UFC 118: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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