As we all knew would happen, Joe defeated Gleison Tibau on July 5th at Mandalay Bay. In fact, this was the first time that Tibau has lost by submission. On his way home from Las Vegas, Joe had a few minutes to discuss the fight with me.
Q: How were you feeling going into the fight?
A: I was actually feeling a little nervous. I was pretty drained from all the training I had been doing and I was still recovering from a few injuries.
Q: Well you definitely looked good out there. Let’s talk about the omaplata near the end of the first round. You looked very relaxed.
A: I was just holding out, waiting for the referee to stand us up. I knew that I could have been in a compromising position if I moved, so I just held what I had and made the best of it. Tibau had me in the second round with side control, but I knew if I got to the cage I could work my way out of it.
Q: How did it feel when you got him in the guillotine?
A: It was an awesome feeling. Once I had it I knew I just had to apply pressure and hold him there.
Q: This was the first fight your son Joey attended. Did he enjoy it?
A: He definitely had a great time; though my wife and I decided next time we’re not taking him to the pool before the fight. He was pretty tired!
Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
A: There’s always room for improvement and I think I can always be better. I plan on watching the tapes and looking for areas to work on.
Q: Any final words?
A: I’d like to say that Gleison is a terrific opponent, and he has nothing but talent. I’d also like to give a shout out to Robert Drysdale and >Dr. Jon Petrick who helped me prepare for this fight.















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