June 23, 
San Jose MMA ExaminerPhil Lanides
Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith is one of the most aptly nicknamed fighters in MMA today. A brutal striker that can turn an opponent’s lights out at anytime, Smith is known for his ability to absorb punishment and come back. And that’s exactly what he did at Strikeforce’s “Evolution” event last December against one of San Jose’s favorite fighters, Cung Le. After taking a beating for two and a half rounds, Smith landed a shot on Le, putting his foe on the mat. He followed up with a brutal punch to the nose, and it was all she wrote. No one could question that it was a huge victory for “Hands of Steel,” and no one can question his heart.
Now, the man he defeated in December has come knocking for a rematch. This Saturday, at “Fedor vs. Werdun” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Smith and Le will face off once again. I spoke with Smith recently regarding this opportunity.
Phil Lanides: How are you feeling physically?
Scott Smith: I feel good. Everybody gets a little banged up, and gets bangs and bruises during training camp. But overall, I feel good.
PL: How has your training camp been?
SS: It’s been good. I’ve added a new boxing coach, and I’ve been working on footwork and movement. I’ve been doing Muay Thai for a long time, and I love it. But it’s kind of bad for MMA because it causes me to fight flatfooted and not move as much. So I’ve been working on my footwork a lot, on my movement.
PL: Is there a specific part of your game that you worked on in camp?
SS: Yeah. I can’t move back against Cung Le, I have to move forward. I learned that my legs weren’t conditioned enough to move like I should. Now, with my new boxing coach, they are.
PL: Cung was landing some really hard shots on you during the fight, and you were clearly behind until you pulled it out at the end. How’s your mental state going into the rematch?
SS: He gave me everything he had and couldn’t finish me off, and I feel like I’m a way better fighter now. Last time, I put in a six-week camp. This time, I’ve been training for him for over ten weeks. So I’m in a lot better shape for this fight. I think the fans are going to see a way better fighter in me for this fight.
PL: Cung told me that his camp requested the bout…
SS: I heard right after the fight that he already wanted a rematch. I don’t think he was in great cardio shape for that one, and I think he will be now. It’s understandable he wants a rematch, and he’s got it.
PL: Do you feel that it was a mistake on Cung’s part that cost him the fight and gave you the victory? Were you planning to finish the way you did?
SS: Definitely didn’t have it planned. To beat Cung, you have to go right after him, and I didn’t do that. But as fans who have watched me have seen, I can always land that big punch. I think the mistake he made had more to do with his preparation for the fight. If he’d had more cardio, than he would have had more of a killer instinct and might have finished me. But he didn’t.
PL: Jake Shields is rumored to be headed to the UFC. If that does happen, there would be a tourney to decide a new champ. And if you beat Cung again, you will be part of that. Where do you see yourself in the title picture?
SS: If they have a tourney, I definitely want to be involved because of the quality of fighters that will be in there. But I’m not worried about a title fight…it’ll come when it comes. I just want to fight the best that I can. I’ll let StrikeForce take care of [the matchmaking].
PL: Cung doesn’t like making predictions on fights. Do you have one for your fight?
SS: It’s going to be a knockout either way. I’m not going to sit there and let him pick at me for three rounds. I’m looking to take his head off early. I’m not going to be cocky and say that I will knock him out, but one of us is going down, for sure.
PL: Any prediction for the Fedor fight?
SS: I don’t know how you can bet against Fedor. I think Werdun does have a chance, but he’s got to improve on his cardio. If he comes into the fight in the shape he was for the “Bigfoot” Silva fight, he won’t win. But he’s a tough guy, and he can definitely win.
PL: Any message for the fans?
SS: Be ready for an exciting show. I think that me and Cung are definitely going to be the fight of the night, so there will be fireworks. The fans that get to see it live will be in for a treat.
PL: Cung said that he doesn’t have a message for you, that he’ll do his talking in the cage. Do you have a message for Cung?
SS: I’m just to be excited to be in there fighting again. I respect him as a fighter, and the times I’ve met him, he seems like a cool dude. But when the cage door closes, friendship goes out the window. I’m going to try to knock him out, and I’ll shake his hand afterwards.
