Alan Jouban: 'When I connect with Matt Dwyer, I'll be able to put him away'
When we previously checked in with rising UFC welterweight Alan Jouban, the fighter and model balanced disappointment that an injury kept him out of a card in his home state of Louisiana, with excitement that his success thus far in the MMA big leagues was being matched by opportunities outside the cage. As he neared his UFC Fight Night bout tonight in San Diego against Matt Dwyer, however, Jouban was happy to have been focused on fighting, again, post-elbow surgery.
"I've absolutely been 100 percent focused on fighting again," he told us.
"That time where I was doing a lot outside of the cage was right around when I was injured, anyways, so it worked out in my favor. After UFC 184, I shot a couple things and I knew I had to have surgery. After surgery was done, I took a couple days then I flipped the switch - 'Let's get this fight date, down.' I like to have a goal in front of me. I don't like being in limbo and waiting around."
Jouban said that the UFC obliged him and got him the bout near his adopted Los Angeles home against Dwyer. The tall, dangerous Dwyer is coming off a KO win, just as Jouban is.
In fact, the 6-foot-4 Dwyer, 25, has only won by knockout over the course of his career. Jouban certainly knew he'd need to be healthy in order to beat the young, powerful opponent, and assured us and his fans that he is.
"He's a dangerous guy," he acknowledges.
"His body makes him somewhat unassuming because he's very skinny looking. But, he's also very lanky. Just like his last fight, he uses his length well. He used a long superman punch, a straight shot, and he covered so much distance. As long as I don't get crazy and overextend, I can do well.
"I definitely am fully healed. I had the surgery to take care of the bursitis and they said it was about a six-week recovery time. I wanna say by the time I step into the Octagon, that will be somewhere around the 10-week mark. In camp, I still did take care of my elbow, and was more cautious. But, if I injure it inside the cage, so be it."
In fact, Jouban did injure the elbow in the cage the last time out. He won by knockout from an elbow strike and damaged his elbow quite a bit.
If he bangs up his elbow again because he smashed it into his opponent's head hard enough to knock him out, he'll gladly take it. "I'm always fine as long as I don't get injured before a fight," he explained.
"The wound from surgery was fully healed before I started training. There's scar tissue so it is likely to get opened-up again. The elbow is a hard spot on the body, and I like to throw them a lot. I'm just waiting to see what happens. But, if I elbow Matt Dwyer the night of the fight and my elbow busts open, I'm fine with that."
Despite Dwyer having the age and size advantage, "Brahma" likes the matchup, in large part because of how he's seen his opponent react to getting hit. "I like it, man. I like this fight," he began.
"I've watched fights of his where the commentators say he's got a solid chin but to be honest, I think his chin is somewhat suspect. I see a guy who when he gets hit, his body flies all over the place. He doesn't go out a lot, but when he gets hit, his head swings back and forth. It's almost like the saying that an iron chin is no good if you have a pencil neck. He's gotten hurt by lesser strikers than I am. When I do connect, I will be able to put him away. I think I'll be able to exploit holes in his game."
