If you’ve watched an MMA event in the last decade, chances are you’ve seen Jacob “Stitch” Duran doing his thing — patching up fighters’ faces to give them one more round. The legendary cutman — who has worked thousands of fights in boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts — recently took some time to chat with us about blood, living the cutman life, the worst gash he’s seen, and stitching Dana White’s mouth shut.
CagePotato: When did you decide you wanted to rub vaseline on guys’ faces and fix gashes for a living? Jacob “Stitch” Duran: Well, it was actually when I saw my first pint of blood coming off of one of my kickboxers. I kinda’ smiled and said, “You know what, man, this is kinda’ freaky, not everybody does this.” I got hooked on it right from the get-go and that was about 1988.
Who taught you the trade?
I studied some of the legendary cutmen that were in the game — in boxing at that point — and tried to emulate some of the techniques they did. Really, I had no pattern. I didn’t know whether what they were doing was right or was wrong. I tried to ask some of the cutmen as I was up-and-coming and for the most part they kinda’ blew me off, “Hey, fuck you. You’ve got to learn just like me. I learned off my master. I’m taking this to my grave.” So I kind of studied on my own, I started asking a lot of questions to the ringside doctors, I read manuals on blood and arteries. For the most part it was on-the-job training.
Because of those things that happened to me, it’s important for those things not to happen to other people. I’m in the process right now of producing a DVD called “Cuts, Cornermen, and Confidence: Giving the Fighter One More Round”. It’s real important. I was going to do it when I was in boxing years ago and when I got mixed up with the UFC, I realized their are so many trainers that want to learn how to properly take care of the fighters. Wrapping their hands, working corners. And I think, as an instructor, I’m qualified to do it. I figured I might as well pass on some of the ideas and work experiences that I’ve gone through, so that these guys don’t have to go through what I went through. For the game to get better, we have to teach the trainers how to take care of the fighters — and give them that one more round.
An instructional DVD is great, because no one can just go to school and get a cutman degree, right?
Exactly. It’s going to be for the layman. It’s designed for the trainers, the fighter, the armchair quarterback — or the weekend warrior, we call them in this sport. Even if you train yourself, at least you can learn how to properly wrap your hands for training. My wife’s birthday is July 7th and I’m committed for it to come out before that, if not on that date.
Who gave you your nickname?
That came from my early years in kickboxing. I worked with this one fighter that got cut. I knew nothing. Really, that was my first experience working on a cut — I had no medications, so I just applied direct pressure on him and covered it up with vaseline. After the fight, I did what every other cutman would do: I put a butterfly on the guy to close up the cut. And he goes, “Hey, you saved me some stitches. Stitch.” So that’s where the name came from. You know what? That’s a pretty nice name. I was coming home from San Jose today and I was at the San Jose Airport, and this young kid was coming by in a TapouT shirt and he said, “Hey, Stitch!” So the name has penetrated to the fans. A lot of people don’t even know my real name!
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) recently issued the medical suspensions from UFC 81: “Breaking Point” that took place this past weekend on February 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Most of the fighters escaped serious injuries with the exception of David Heath, who sustained a broken nose thanks to all those Tim Boetsch knees in the clinch … not to mention the insane ragdoll toss technical knockout.
Here’s the full skinny:
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira — “Big Nog” is suspended until March 2, 2008 and there’s no contact allowed until February 24, 2008.
Frank Mir – “The Baddest Man on the Planet” is suspended until March 2, 2008, with a scalp laceration and there’s no contact allowed until February 24, 2008.
Kyle Bradley — He is suspended until March 19, 2008, with right facial lacerations and
David Heath — He must clear a nasal fracture with a physician prior to returning to action or no contest until August 1, 2008. The quickest he can fight again with medical clearance is April 3, 2008, and there’s no contact allowed until March 19, 2008.
Marvin Eastman – “The Beastman” is suspended until March 2, 2008, with a right upper eyelid laceration and there’s no contact allowed until February 24, 2008.
Keita Nakamura — He is suspended suspended until March 18, 2008, and there’s no contact allowed until March 2, 2008.
Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.
For this specific set of fighters, however, it appears that only Heath will require medical clearance prior to competing again.
For complete UFC 81: “Breaking Point” results and coverage click here and here.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) has received the fighter payouts for UFC 81: “Breaking Point” from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the pay-per-view (PPV) event held on February 2 at The Mandalay Bat Events Center in Las Vegas.
No surprise, Brock Lesnar was the top earner of the night, raking in a quarter-million dollars for his 90-second submission loss to Frank Mir. He could have pocketed another $200,000 with a win in his Octagon debut.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira took home a nice chuck of change ($200,000) for his stoppage of Tim Sylvia, and Nate Marquardt didn’t make out too bad, either, with his convincing win over Jeremy Horn.
Here are all the UFC 81 payouts:
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira — $200,000 ($100,000 to show, $100,000 to win)
Tim Sylvia — $100,000 Nogueira defeated Sylvia via submission (guillotine choke) in round three
Frank Mir — $80,000 ($40,000 to show, $40,000 to win)
Brock Lesnar — $250,000 Mir defeated Lesnar via submission (kneebar) in round one
Nate Marquardt — $52,000 ($26,000 to show, $26,000 to win)
Jeremy Horn — $25,000 Marquardt defeated Horn via submission (guillotine choke) in round two
Ricardo Almeida — $40,000 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 to win)
Rob Yundt — $5,000 Almeida defeated Yundt via submission (guillotine choke) in round one
Tyson Griffin — $36,000 ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win)
Gleison Tibau — $11,000 Griffin defeated Tibau via unanimous decision
Chris Lytle — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
Kyle Bradley — $4,000 Lytle defeated Bradley via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Tim Boetsch — $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
David Heath — $6,000 Boetsch defeated Heath via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
Marvin Eastman— $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win)
Terry Martin — $12,000 Eastman defeated Martin via unanimous decision
Rob Emerson — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Keita Nakamura — $5,000 Emerson defeated Nakamura via split decision
Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.
For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for “Fight of the Night,” “Knockout of the Night” and “Submission of the Night.” To check out these figures for UFC 81 go here.
The total base fighter payroll for UFC 81 was $892,000.
For complete results and coverage of the “Breaking Point” click here and here.
If you’re going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC 81 results post and not this one.
” I just expect [Terry Martin] to come out hard and try to brawl. I don’t underestimate any opponent, I don’t look down at any opponent. I know that they’re coming in to try and whup me and I ain’t trying to have that. I’m not losing no more fights. Therefore he’s somebody in my way of my objectives to be successful in the middleweight division and ultimately get a title shot and the middleweight championship.”
Marvin Eastman sounds like a man on a mission. He also looks like one after his intense confrontation with Terry Martin at the weigh-in for their middleweight fight tonight on the undercard of the UFC 81: “Breaking Point” pay-per-view (PPV) event. It definitely has me hoping it makes the PPV broadcast between main card fights — it probably won’t last long. The article also details Eastman’s grueling schedule as a fighter and full-time corrections officer in Nevada.
The field of 18 fighters for UFC 81: “Breaking Point” will all tip the scales at 7 p.m. ET this evening for the SuperBowl weekend pay-per-view (PPV) event tomorrow night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For options on how and where to watch the weigh-in LIVE click here. For those who didn’t catch the Internet broadcast we have up-to-the-minute UFC 81 weigh-in results below:
265 lbs.: Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (237) vs. Tim Sylvia (261) 265 lbs: Frank Mir (255) vs. Brock Lesnar (265) 185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt (185) vs. Jeremy Horn (185) 185 lbs.: Ricardo Almeida (185) vs. Rob Yundt (185) 155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (156) 170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (170) vs. Kyle Bradley (170) 185 lbs.: David Heath (205) vs. Tim Boetsch (205) 185 lbs.: Terry Martin (186) vs. Marvin Eastman (185) 155 lbs.: Keita Nakamura (155) vs. Rob Emerson (155)
*Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.
The televised portion of the pay-per-view (PPV) event begins tomorrow (Saturday, February 2) at 10 p.m. ET. We will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card action at this time.
UFC 81 quick results, however, will begin to flow earlier than that here at MMAmania.com at about 8:00 p.m. ET with the prelim fights.
Tomorrow is going to be REAL interesting. Remember to hit us up for all the latest results coverage before, during and after the action.
UFC 81: “Breaking Point” is set for Saturday, February 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Super Bowl weekend special will air on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET with the main card action. And of course, MMAmania.com will provide LIVE fight-by-fight, round-by-round coverage at this time.
In addition, we will post quick results of the prelim action at around 7:30 p.m. ET.
Here’s the complete line up:
Main event:
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (30-4- 1) vs. Tim Sylvia (24-3) for interim UFC Heavyweight Championship
Main card (televised):
Hvywt.: Frank Mir (10-3) vs. Brock Lesnar (1-0)
185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt (25-7-2) vs. Jeremy Horn (79-16-5)
185 lbs.: Alan Belcher (11-3) vs. Ricardo Almeida (8-2)
Undercard (May not be broadcast):
155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin (10-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (15-4)
170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (24-15-5) vs. Kyle Bradley (13-4)
185 lbs.: Terry Martin (16-3) vs. Marvin Eastman (14-7-1)
185 lbs.: David Heath (7-2) vs. Tim Boetsch (6-1)
155 lbs.: Keita Nakamura (14-2-2) vs. Rob Emerson (6-6)
At this point the co feature of the evening — Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar — has got me incredibly intrigued. There’s just no telling what is going to happen during that fight — Lesnar is raw and powerful and Mir is experienced and inconsistent.
How will this one unfold?
We can’t wait to find out, as well as check out the battle between former UFC heavyweight champion, Sylvia, and former Pride FC heavyweight champion, Minotauro Noguiera.
It’s going to get real interesting … and it’s all just one week away.
Remember: PPV prices will be increased to $44.95 starting with this show. Therefore, if you’re too cheap to cough up an extra few dollars then definitely hit us up for all the LIVE coverage you can handle come fight night.
Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the PPV telecast to share their thoughts on the action.
Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or 10 before you leave and chat with many of our readers during the show — it always turns out to be a great discussion.
In addition, keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after UFC 81.
In the meantime feel free to share your thought and predictions on the fight outcomes in the comments section below.
Hard-hitting Terry Martin (16-3) will look to get back on the winning track at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” against veteran Marvin Eastman (14-7-1) on February 2 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) learned about the middleweight bout earlier this afternoon.
Martin suffered a surprise defeat via third round knockout courtesy of a perfectly placed Chris Leben punch in his last appearance inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 11 on September 19. It was a back-and-forth battle that Martin would have more than likely won on the judges scorecards if it went the distance (”The Crippler” was docked a point for a fence grab earlier in the bout).
With a win the the Chicago-based fighter would have earned a top spot in the middleweight title picture. Now it’s back to the drawing board on SuperBowl weekend to prove that he indeed belongs among the best in the division.
Eastman has competed in the light heavyweight class for the better part of his long career. He was booked to clash with Demian Maia at UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” on October 20; however, an eye injury forced him off the Cincinnati card.
Rampage Jackson knocked out “The Beastman” earlier this year in his Octagon debut. Prior to that appearance he hadn’t competed in the UFC since 2004, losing via knockout to Travis Lutter.
For the latest UFC 81: “Breaking Point” fight card click here.
Mixed martial arts veteran Marvin Eastman (14-7-1) will take on a relative newcomer to the sport, Demian Maia (5-0), in a middleweight bout at UFC 77 on October 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
UFCmania.com received a message earlier today from the “Beastman” confirming the showdown at the U.S. Bank Arena.
Eastman was tentatively scheduled to face Drew McFedries on the same night in “The Buckeye State.” He recently revealed, however, that he was moved to the UFC 76 show in September. Now, he’s back on the Ohio card against a different opponent.
Strange but true.
Maia — the current Abu Dahbi Combat Club (ADCC) U87Kg Champion — recently told AdCombat.com that he had inked a deal with the UFC.
Here’s a snip from the Brazilian grappler:
“I am so happy that I signed with U.F.C. This event was very influential in me pursuing a fighting career and Jiu-Jitsu. i already trained karate back in the days and watching Royce Gracie fighting in U.F.C. I inspired me to this career. I am thankful to the Fertitta Brothers, Dana White and Joe Silva for the opportunity and their confidence in me. I promise to give my all to the event and the pursuit of the belt ….”
Maia is up against a tough opponent in Eastman, who has a very deceptive record. Not to mention he’s going to be enormous for 185 pounds (he was a shredded 205-pounder up until this fight).
Eastman has strong wrestling skills, which he will need to leverage to keep this fight upright — he does not want to get into a jiu-jitsu battle with Maia.
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer is reporting that rumors of a bout between Marvin Eastman and Evan Tanner at UFC 76 are not true. According to Meltzer, Tanner isn’t even signed to the UFC.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) recently issued the medical suspensions from UFC 81: “Breaking Point” that took place this past weekend on February 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
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