Saskatoon’s Clarke moving on up in octagon
One year ago, Saskatoon’s Mitch Clarke was fighting simply to keep his job with Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now, after winning back-to-back fights, he’s on the rise in UFC’s lightweight division.
Clarke, the 28-year-old alumni of Walter Murray Collegiate and the University of Saskatchewan, returned to the Bridge City on the weekend to make a guest appearance at Honour Fight! Promotions’ fourth annual amateur card. He took time out to share 10 thoughts.
Even when he wins, he doesn’t come away healthy …
“My elbow, I can’t bend it all the way. Might have created a couple bone chips from elbowing him so hard off the bottom,” said Clarke. “I might have screwed up my pronator in my elbow, from just squeezing past what should be my capabilities.
“It’s the hurt game. You gotta take what you can get, but for me it’s worth it. Get a big win and a little extra cash doesn’t hurt.”
Ah, yes: a little extra cash. Clarke earned $10,000 to show plus $10,000 to win. He also received a $50,000 bonus cheque from UFC for his submission over Iaquinta …
“It’s more money than I’ve made in the past over five years, combined,” he said.
He learned about his performance-of-the-night bonus the same way fans around the world often do: Technology …
“I got a text from someone, saying ‘Don’t lend anyone any money.’ I sent a text and said, ‘What?’ ‘Look at your Twitter.’ ”
He was given a six-month medical suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission due to his elbow injury …
“It allows me time to improve. Now I need to figure out a new sneaky choke that I can use.”
As memorable as the evening was, he’s not dwelling on the victory or the extra scratch …
“You train hard and you fight. If you win, that’s awesome. If you lose, you go back to the drawing board,” said Clarke.
“It’s not like that 50 grand is going to turn me into a douchebag or anything else. It’s not like that’s eff you money. Life just goes on. Try
and use it to get better.”
Clarke broke down in tears after his first UFC win, last July in Winnipeg. After his second win, he started thinking less about each first he accomplishes and began feeling more at home within UFC …
“It’s such a weird position to be in for me. I was fighting for my job the first three fights,” he said. “Now there’s a little bit of actual job security. Now it’s looking to build my brand as much as I can and become better off of it.”
His win last month garnered Clarke some new fans …
“I think I got in the 24 hours after the fight, I got something like 400 new followers on Twitter. That was definitely cool. But with the fans, comes the other people that come and try and bring you down a notch. ‘It’s a fluke.’ ‘You got lucky.’ I guess those guys always help to keep you grounded,” he said with a laugh.
Clarke has yet to have an in-depth chat with UFC president Dana White or matchmaker Joe Silva but after back-to-back wins, they know exactly who he is …
“Joe seemed quite happy so that makes me happy,” said Clarke. “The fact (Dana) said my name at a press conference or in another interview, he said he likes my attitude, makes me happy … He’s got a roster of 500- some fighters. Just for him to know who I am is quite cool.”
Clarke’s three prior UFC fights were in Canada. Last month, he made his Las Vegas debut …
“I did not enjoy Vegas. I think if I’m a bad person, my hell after I die would be the lobby of every hotel in Vegas. People still smoke. I didn’t know people still smoke. Also I find they don’t appreciate it as much as the Canadians do … I think with a place like Vegas, it’s so commonplace to have those fights, they take it for granted.”
At the same time, Vegas is the mecca of the fight world …
“It’s definitely a feather in my cap to be one of those guys who had the opportunity to fight and win in Vegas at the MGM.
That’s the pinnacle of the sport. I get to say I did something that very few people have.”