Andy Ogle’s official UFC debut has been a long-time coming. While other members of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 cast were featured on the “Ultimate Fighter Finale” card Ogle was out with a medical suspension from his quarterfinal loss to Al Iaquinta. It was a setback that Ogle found hard to take.
“For the first time I wasn’t part of it. I was always in with anything, I was always part of the guys and for the first time I wasn’t part of Team Faber. I felt lost, that something had been taken from me” he said in an interview with FoxSports.com/InsideFights.com.
Ogle featured in the TUF House at 155Ibs, a deliberate if temporary move up in weight to cope with the demands of the competition. He’s a natural featherweight and is making his official debut in the UFC tonight opposite TUF 14 cast member Akira Corassani.
“I’ve fought at featherweight in the UK before. I knew that it would be twelve long weeks on the show so I wanted to be at the higher weight and be more comfortable. Because I felt it would be harder to maintain featherweight for such a long period of time. So being at lightweight for the show was just a short-term thing. I’m very much a smaller guy and don’t feel my body type would go down well at light weight”.
His time on The Ultimate Fighter was a life-changing experience for the 8-1 fighter from Sunderland, England.
“It was positive. I would do it again. It helped me get to the position I’m in now. It was tough. It was tougher for people around me than actually for me because I was so focused on trying to live it and do it. But people at home didn’t know what was happening. My parents had no contact with me for such a long time due to their being no phone calls. It was hard for my girlfriend to understand, for her to see me on TV and see me hurt. If she saw me win she couldn’t share that joy and if she saw me lose she couldn’t share that hurt”.
When Ogle is asked about what advice he would give to future contestants on The Ultimate Fighter, he laughs and answers.
“Well it’s a totally different kettle of fish. You’ve asked a question that I could go on all day without answering” he said. “The show is based on hope. You’re trying to work towards a goal, you’re trying to get the contract. You know the aim of the competition but you don’t know what comes with it”. Ogle explains that being on the show is a life changing experience.
“The guys that are around you may be jealous because they want to be in your position. People think that you’re famous and treat you differently because they think you’re different. I’m not different; the guys I train with know that I’m just a normal guy. Things that were private become public – it’s no longer your private Facebook it’s a public Facebook. Things like Twitter and Facebook you have to use for marketing. That’s the sport we live in – I’m not just a fighter, I’m an entertainer. I wouldn’t have it any other way. You just have to embrace it”.
With The Ultimate Fighter behind him, Ogle is preparing to fight The Ultimate Fighter 14’s Swedish star Corassani. While Ogle was not impressed by his behavior in the house he’s looking forward to the fight.
“He’s different character to myself. I haven’t met him personally so I haven’t formed a personal opinion but from watching him on television he wasn’t the nicest of men. I expect it to be a war, nothing less than a battle. I expect him to throw the kitchen sink at me – to expect anything less would be disrespectful to him. I’ve got a date with destiny, so bring it on!”
