A conversation with Jason MacDonald
In the first of our exclusive interviews with the fighters taking part in Canada’s first UFC event on April 19th, we talk to Jason MacDonald from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
How important is fighting on the first Canadian UFC card to you?
It’s really important. I’m really proud to be representing the UFC in Canada. We don’t have too many active fighters in Canada so it’s pretty important to me.
You’re facing Joe Doerksen for the second time after having beat him in your previous bout in 2005. What has changed in your training since you two last fought?
Last time I fought Joe Doerksen, I hadn’t trained with my new coach, Josh Russell, from Gracie Barra Calgary and the fight ended with a choke. Going into this fight, I don’t think I’m a completely different fighter but I’ve evolved as a fighter. Joe is a pioneer of MMA in Canada but it doesn’t seem like he’s changed much over the years. I think I’m bringing a completely different set of tools into the octagon.
You’ve mentioned previously that you have a preference for facing new fighters instead of ones you’ve already faced because you like new challenges. Do you worry about that being a motivation issue for you, particularly since you’ve already beaten Doerksen once?
Absolutely not, I prepare for every fight as if it were my last fight. It’s pretty important to me to maintain my career as a professional fighter in the UFC and I have no intentions to going back to working a 9-to-5 job. This is how I provide for my family now and every fight is as important as the last. My motivation is not who my opponent is but to put on a great performance and entertain the fans, keep UFC happy and provide for my family.
What major differences do you see in MMA since starting to train back in 1999?
The sport has evolved so much from 1999 when the sport was in its infancy. You’d see a lot of one-dimensional fighters who were wrestlers or kick-boxers or Jiu-Jitsu experts and that’s it. Fast forward to 2008 and all the athletes are recognized as professional fighters and not just tough guys coming off the street, and they’re versed in every different kind of fighting – they’re great in every discipline. As a sport, the athletes have evolved with it and we now have some of the best athletes in the world
What is your natural “walk around” weight compared to your fighting weight?
I’m walking around today at a fairly fit 209 pounds.
What is your method of cutting weight and how close to the weigh-ins do you start cutting?
I try to land in whatever state or province we’re fighting in at 200 pounds and I try to start cutting back on calories about five days before the weigh-in and then I simply dehydrate myself and cut back on the water, put on a sweatsuit on and do some jogging and cycling. That usually works well for me and I usually wake up on weigh-in day at close to 185 pounds. The last couple of fights, I didn’t change anything until a few days before the fight.
I understand that you’re married with four children. How does your training schedule impact your family life?
I try to schedule most of my training in the daytime when my two boys are in school and my two girls are at home. We have a live-in nanny that makes it easier for me to get away and do my training. The UFC has afforded me the ability to spend more time with my kids. When I was working a 40-hour workweek, I got to see my children a lot less.
What can you tell us about the fan base for MMA in Western Canada?
I live in Red Deer where I just opened a new gym called Pure Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts. Red Deer is a small city of 100,000 but there’s a large amount of MMA fans here who want to get involved in the sport.
How do you see the UFC and mixed martial arts evolving over the next 10 years?
If it’s another 10 years like it’s been in the past 10 years I could see it replacing the NFL or NASCAR as one of the top spectator sports in the world. The beauty of MMA is that unlike boxing – where there’s a huge gap between the champion and everyone else – in MMA, on any given night, you could crown a new champion or a new contender. That’s the beauty of the UFC and MMA right now – a fighter can lose a fight and then come back and look spectacular in their next fight and get right back in the mix of things. Right now, there’s no one champion who is champion for years and years and takes away from the excitement of the sport. I think that will keep the sport moving ahead for the next 10 years.