and C.B. have very different games as far as both their takedowns and their grappling. I think a lot of wrestlers look the same when they fight or grapple, because a lot of their set ups and finishes aren’t necessary as their level is so much higher than their competition. All you see is a basic double or single leg, but there is a lot more to it. I think C.B. is more of a physical wrestler in the sense that he likes to set dominant grips and impose his strength and positioning. I think that Johny relies more on movement. He can attack from his opponent having dominant grips, because he moves very well. I think that Amir is training very hard and will be well prepared to face Johny come August.



Bevois: Since you have pretty up-to-date firsthand knowledge of both Johny and Amir, how do you see this fight going? Do you see it being a possible “fight of the night”, will it go the distance, and if not, how do you see this fight getting stopped?

Cameron: I hate to give boring answers, but I don’t like to give predictions. I know that they both are training hard and they both feel the need to prove different things. I definitely see an exciting fight with a lot of action standing and on the ground.



Bevois: You’ll be a busy man that night, because on that same card at UFC 101, your good friend and training partner Forrest Griffin will be in the co-main event against one of the sport’s all-time pound-for-pound greats in Anderson Silva. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Cameron: Damn, two prediction questions *laughs*. I know Forrest is very excited for this fight and is training full swing. He will be looking to take the fight to Anderson. I think this will be one of the fights of the year.



Bevois: Who are some of the other professional MMA fighters that you are currently training. Do you still keep in touch with any other cast members from TUF 7 other than Amir?

Cameron: Currently Forrest Griffin, Amir Sadollah, Matt Brown, and an up-and-coming female fighter named Lynn Alvarez who has been doing very well. I keep in touch with Nick Klein, Cale Yarborough, and Tim Credeur from TUF 7 as well.



Bevois: A lot of people were really impressed with your ability to articulate grappling instructions to your fighters on TUF 7, especially during the Credeur-Riddle fight. How was that overall experience of coaching on national television in front of the massive UFC and Spike audience?

Cameron: It was a very valuable experience. I learned a lot as a coach, but I always continue to learn more. If I remember we cornered 30 something fights that season. I feel like it is a hard job to corner, because each fighter is different. Some need motivation, some need technical advice, and some don’t need much at all verbally from their corner. This is why it is important to have a good understanding of your guys, so you can give them what information they need during the fight. Sometimes I found myself giving too much technical advice to a guy who just needed motivation, so I was basically wasting my breath and not helping him at all. I tried to give everything I had to those guys, so hopefully I helped out some.



Bevois: At Las Vegas Combat Club, you have trained with both Frank Mir and Steve Cantwell. They are both known for bone-crushing submissions in the UFC. Do you think that is just a coincidence or is that just a mindset a lot of fighters should have?

Cameron: I didn’t get to train with Steve Cantwell often, but I know that he is very good. He was training with Ricardo Calvacanti during my time at LVCC. I think that during the good times at LVCC Ricardo Pires and Sergio Penha worked very hard to improve their team’s skills on the ground and it is evident in the way that they fight. I think that the mentality is that they are going to take it and you better tap to save yourself. In fights you can’t be concerned for the other guy in these situations, because they are not concerned with you. If he escapes you can bet that he is not going to feel bad about cutting you or knocking you out. Jiu-Jitsu fighters need to have the mentality that they are there to finish not to make guys tap.



Bevois: Mir has a big rematch coming up against Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 in July to unify the UFC heavyweight title. Do you think he will submit Lesnar again?

Cameron: I hope that he does. I am sure that Lesnar is training hard, so he is going to need to be very creative.



Bevois: Last month, Cantwell dropped his first fight with the UFC after a “fight of the night” performance against Luiz Arthur Cane at UFC 97 in Montreal. How do you see Cantwell rebounding from his loss in the UFC light-heavyweight division?

Cameron: I see him learning from his loss and coming back stronger. He is young with a bright future.



Bevois: You have also started your own academy in Las Vegas called Legion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Who are some of the top up-and-comers at your school that we should keep our eyes on in the near future?

Cameron: I think that Matt , Amir, and Lynn will all be doing very well in their careers. Win, Lose or, Draw they are always training and each fight you can expect to fight a better version than you saw in their previous fights. As far as Jiu-Jitsu goes, some of my top students Mo Ayala, Rene Lopez, and Daniel Almodovar have been doing very well in competitions. I have three teenagers Erick Vargas, Jason Pacheco, and my girlfriend’s younger brother Eric Hubbard who are all pushing each other very hard and are having tons of tournament success. I have quite a few others coming up as our school is full of hungry young competitors. I expect to have a long list of champions over the next couple of years.



Bevois: You have a good relationship with Robert Drysdale, who also just opened a school in town and is scheduled to have a Superfight against Roger Gracie at the 2009 ADCC World Championship later this year. Roger will be the favorite going in, but how do you like Drysdale’s chances?

Cameron: I think Drysdale has an excellent chance. I think that one of the hardest parts about Roger, first obviously being his skill, is his length. I don’t think many people get to have training partners who are that skilled and that long. I think Roger’s matches with other long opponents, like Werdum or Einemo, show that he uses his length to his advantage. He still performed very well, but had more difficulty than some of his other matches, as Werdum and Einemo are very long as well. I think that Drysdale has a tremendous amount of skill and knowledge and he