Are You Down With The Terror Squad?

A little over a year ago Long Island native and UFC veteran, Matt “The Terror” Serra, shocked the MMA world when he took the welterweight title from Georges St. Pierre. Serra, a heavy underdog known more for his ground skills than throwing leather, took GSP out by TKO in the first round of their fight at Houston’s Toyota Center. After a yearlong layoff from the Octagon due to a coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter and an unfortunate back injury, Serra is back for his first fight since winning the title, a rematch against GSP in Montreal. We caught up with Serra on his way from a workout at his namesake gym, Serra Jitsu, and heading into Manhattan for a tune up with his mentor and jiu-jitsu instructor Renzo Gracie. As always, Serra wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Love him or hate him, Serra talks just like he fights. He lays it all out on the line.

Complex: Was it tough sitting through the interviews sitting next to GSP to hype the upcoming fight?

Matt Serra: Nah, it wasn’t too tough. It’s not like he’s Matt Hughes or anything, you know? He’s a pleasant enough guy. We are still going to be looking to kill each other, but we can be civil.

C: Speaking of Matt Hughes, what do you think are your chances of getting a fight with him before he retires?

Matt Serra: Oh, I’m sure that’s going to happen sooner or later. There is too much invested in that for us not to fight.

C: Do you think the ill will goes both ways?

Matt Serra: I’m sure we both would enjoy it.

C: It’s been a year since your last fight when you won the belt from GSP. Has your fighting style changed at all?

Matt Serra: I think that it’s definitely different. When I went in there I thought I could hurt him standing, but now I’ve proven I can hurt him. The biggest thing in that fight that I learned and ran with was my ability to follow a game plan. Anybody that thinks that fight was luck or a lucky punch, they haven’t seen any of my sparring sessions leading up to it. What happened in that fight is what’s been going down in sparring all the time. I don’t have to just try to get the guy to the floor like a maniac, like I always have done in the past. It’s going to be a little different now. I’ve proven I can be dangerous everywhere.

C: Do you think you’ll change your game plan that much? It worked pretty well the first time.

Matt Serra: It’s not so much that I have to have a specific game plan, but I’ve got to be prepared if he was to put me on my back. He’s a real good wrestler. I’m just really making sure that my jiu-jitsu… that’s why I’m going into Manhattan now. To go over some more stuff. I’ve got to be dangerous everywhere with this guy.

C: GSP handled Josh Koscheck and Hughes, two All-American wrestlers. Does that send off any alarms for you?

Matt Serra: No, I believe…I’m not going to sit here and say I am a better fighter than Koscheck or Hughes. But I am going to say, I’m a worse match-up for GSP than both those guys. He’s great fighting wrestlers, and other people too. But my point is, if he gets me on my back, that fight’s just beginning. I have a lot of stuff in the arsenal to make him as uncomfortable as he possibly can if he wants to try to get me down.

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