UGP 69 BEFORE THE WALK: VERONA JIMENEZ
Holmes MMA and Wrestling Academy
Houston, Texas
[The known facility and training camp that has taken the mixed martial arts industry by storm by how well it has developed their key fighters in Union Grand Prix, the Holmes MMA and Wrestling Academy. Houston’s biggest combat athletic developmental facility creates athletes, professional wrestlers and fighters making their impact in the combat industry. For one, she has the biggest fight of her life, the featherweight world championship, in her home country of Mexico.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Keep that footwork in the center of the cage. I want you to always be able to move, never get close to the cage and keep your jabs long but your hooks short.”
[Verona is inside the cage wearing her sparring gloves and right across from her is her known team-mate and friend, Serenity. Serenity is orthodox dancing on her feet probing jabs and hooks, one-two combinations and Verona keeps her distance, her footwork never going past the line to the cageside and countering with crisp uppercuts, jabs, straights. Serenity shoots for a single leg but Verona sprawls pushing her head down to the mat to stuff the takedown attempt.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Keep your head close to hers, legs back and your bottom up! Put the pressure and weight all down on her head so she can’t drive through and push off after an elbow to punish her!”
[She follows the instructions very well and after driving that elbow, Verona easily backs away on her feet and the round comes to an end. The video cuts to an angle of Verona working alongside Robin Kelson, rolling in a sequence of Ju Jitsu and wrestling exchanges focusing more on escaping, sweeps and blocking submission attacks. While they are working on the mat, John Kartman, head grappling coach, speaks about the progress on a camera close-up.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “We have a lot to prepare for her championship fight. After she accepted the fight from Dante, she’s been doubling the work, putting in a lot of training and she’s ready. This is her homeland, her homefield advantage and Verona is extremely grateful that she gets to compete in her home country.”
[After her training session has completed, Verona is standing off the mats unwrapping the gloves from her hands and sweaty from how well she learned from today’s progress.]
VERONA JIMENEZ: “I’ve been wanting this for a long time. I’ve been fighting for it, pushing myself and this is for my people. This is for my home. I’m going to be the new featherweight champion. I have so much to be thankful for and honestly, God is good. Now? I go home and back to my family to show them how much I’ve changed.”
The Jimenez Residence
Houston, Texas
[A simple two-story home in the luxury residential areas prudent to the downtown area of Houston, Texas, in a gated community for the upper class. The large sleek kitchen design played to a home feeling especially when it’s Verona Jimenez accompanied by her team and working together on a nutritious meal to help with her weight. In the kitchen, the team’s nutritionist is cooking a meal but sitting in the living room area watching some of the UGP events are Verona Jimenez on the couch, Robin and Mason having a talk on the other couch.]
VERONA JIMENEZ: “The one thing I love is no matter what, we can get together after our training or any time and just relax. Most gyms just train and leave but this gym cares about the fighters and treats us like family.”
MASON LAMBERT: “I’m telling you, he’s fucking going to strike but you can take him to the ground and finish him like nothing, that motherfucker won’t survive against you.”
ROBIN KELSON: “And what about you against Sokolov?”
MASON LAMBERT: “FUCK HIM! I’M GOING TO BEAT HIS ASS!”
VERONA JIMÉNEZ: “SILENCIO!!!”
[Both men jump from Verona’s shout and look at each other before staying silent. The next shot of the video is all of them enjoying their meals with Mason chowing down, Robin eating and Verona loving the food. They thank the nutritionist but a close up is on Robin sitting closely to his girlfriend, Verona, while Mason is with the coaches discussing their gameplan for Alexander Sokolov. John Hartman gets a close up for his thoughts.]
JOHN HARTMAN: “UGP 69 is a big day for the Holmes MMA and Wrestling Academy. Robin is making his middleweight debut, Mason gets a potential title opportunity when he beats Alex and Verona is defending her featherweight championship. We have a lot of opportunities for our fighters but every one of them is ready. That’s the beauty of our gym, we don’t stop, we keep going.”
[The final shot in this video is the team taking a picture together in Verona’s kitchen and with her holding the UGP Featherweight Championship belt in her arms. Robin and Mason stand at either side while the team stands behind her, the smiles and cheerful reactions are genuine in their support for each other. On the other hand, Verona stays close to Robin and takes a couple of selfies to highlight their relationship. Mason is messing with the coaches, taking them down on the floor.]
Holmes MMA and Wrestling Academy
Houston, Texas
JOHN KARTHAN: “I want you to focus on the head, uppercuts, hooks, and combinations. Use that reach with the jab to measure your distance and do not fall into getting into the cage wall for her to shoot.”
[Rather than being on the defensive, she’s in the cage with Serenity Holmes again being the aggressive working her angles. The two are sparring with their bigger gloves, and shinguards, Serenity in the orthodox stance matching Verona’s who is bouncing on her feet at all times. She walks forward in that Philly shell, tagging Serenity with combinations who returns with a couple of her own. Serenity fires off from her kickboxing, mixing the targets with her punches and kicks making it hard for Verona to counter.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Just like she’s training to strike, you’re training too. You have to prepare for everything but be wary of her shooting for a takedown or a trip!”
[On cue, Serenity Holmes shoots for the immediate takedown attempt driving Verona into the cage and she manages to stop the takedown thanks to putting her back to the cage and squatting her weight down. She pushes down on Serenity’s head who transitions into the single-leg and tries to swing her around but Verona keeps her weight on the cage to prevent that from happening.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Well done! Well done! Make her pay for every time she fails to take you down! Short inside strikes, uppercuts, hooks on the inside! I want dirty boxing!”
[Serenity tries her best to overcompensate for the takedown but Verona shifts her weight to the side and has a grip on the back of her head for a couple of short uppercuts. Serenity pulls away and the two reset back into the center of the octagon. A close up shows Robin standing at the cageside watching the two.]
ROBIN KELSON: “Her grappling is getting better and Lucija’s wrestling is very strong. Those Russians are relentless but Verona faced Isabel and went all five rounds. She knows what to do and she’s been working on her cardio to put the pressure of a pace on Lucija.”
[Another shot is Verona working on her cardio and conditioning preparing for a five round championship defense with the head coach, Andre Holmes. In the background, Mason Lambert and Jordan Parker are sparring in the striking to improve Jordan’s Muay Thai. The next shot is Serenity Holmes and Robin Kelson scrambling on the mat in Ju Jitsu rolls. Different scenes of fighters that are yet to make their debut in the big-four announcement of UGP’s regional MMA scene.]
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, California
[A smooth landing from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles, California. The team got off the plane, JetBlue first class thanks to the championship perks one has. Verona walks through the airport on the way to baggage claim holding hands with Robin Kelson, Mason follows talking with their coaches and Andre Holmes, the head coach, is right behind them. Verona gets approached by fans especially the Mexican fanbase who swarm her asking for pictures. It humbles her and gives her motivation to see how much she’s inspired fighters from the Mexican blood to do what she can do. She smiles, takes pictures and thanks the fans for their support before walking through the airport.]
VERONA JIMENEZ: “Till’ this day, I still can’t believe how much support I’ve gotten. I won the belt in my home country of Mexico and everything changed. I’ve gotten so much love and support that it drives me to push harder every day.”
[After collecting their bags, Verona can’t help but being swarmed after leaving the airport by fans waiting for her arrival. She truly enjoys being with them and helping them see what hard work pays off. A close up of Mason Lambert watching her for his thoughts.]
MASON LAMBERT: “I’m proud of Verona. She’s a fucking badass who went through a lot of shit growing up and you have to respect a real motherfucker for that. She doesn’t do any bullshit, she loves to fight but I think she’s found her calling and that makes a motherfucker twice as dangerous.”
[The Double Tree Hilton hotel had a beautiful suite for Verona and Robin to stay in together but the amenities were perfect. After a long trip from Houston to LA, the night was getting rowdy but there was still work to be done. In the gym and pool area, the hotel management helped to create a little area for the fighters to train, especially since it’s fight week for UGP 69 in California. Robin was putting pressure on the mats with Verona, taking her down and trying to smother her with constant attacks of strikes and submissions. Andre sat on the side watching carefully.]
ANDRE HOLMES: “This is her first title defense. We’re working on fixing some holes in her game that Lucija can take advantage of. It’s very crucial considering she has more experience and skills in the grappling department but we’ve studied her tapes, her fights, and see what we can tweak to minimize that threat. Verona has a habit of barreling through and for this, we have to be more technical than aggressive. Bait Lucija to be the one to be aggressive then use that against her.”
[Verona’s wrestling and submission defense is put to the test against Robin.]
Pre-Fight Press Conference
The Intuit Dome
INTERVIEWER: “Verona, congratulations on being the Union Grand Prix World Featherweight Champion. How has things changed since winning the belt in your home country of Mexico?”
[The conference room was perfect for the type of setting. The Intuit Dome always knew how to accommodate from the recent design. The stage was small, the UGP 69 poster behind and sitting in front of the table with the UGP Featherweight Championship belt in front of was Verona Jimenez holding the microphone. She smiles at the question and speaks.]
VERONA JIMENEZ: “Everything. It’s a new experience but it’s one that’s given me purpose. I feel stronger, faster, and wiser. I’m not fighting to fight, I’m fighting for my home. I’m fighting to inspire people like me who want to make something of themselves. I think my mindset has changed from selfish to selfless which means I have more to lose and it will push me to fight and train better.”
INTERVIEWER: “You’re going to be fighting against Lucija Dragicevic, the number two-ranked featherweight fighter who is on a three-fight win streak. She was originally supposed to face Isabel but you were the replacement that won. Do you think she’s extra motivated to fight you on the account you sort of stole her thunder?”
VERONA JIMENEZ: “I believe regardless she wants to be champion. I think for me, my win was more significant because it’s a classic striker vs. grappler and the striker won. I won in my home country so it was poetic, that’s how you say? But I know Lucija is a great fighter, she’s tough, she’s mentally aggressive and come this Sunday, she’ll be giving it her all but I’m not going to let her win. I’m defending this belt and will come out the winner.”
INTERVIEWER: “And speaking of striker vs. grappler, Lucija has her wins all by submissions in opposition to most of your wins by knockout. Do you have any fears about her grappling or are you prepared?”
VERONA JIMENEZ: “Her wrestling, Ju Jitsu and grappling is world class. That’s always a threat but my gym has some of the best wrestlers and grapplers in the world. I train in mixed martial arts and have the best coaches. We have a game plan that I’m definitely looking to use. My coaches were drilling me not to stray away so this time, with so much on the line, I’m making sure to follow suit.”
[The final question was answered and Verona thanks the media team for their time. She stands up and picks up the championship belt and wraps it around her right shoulder. Verona walks off the left section of the stage with camera flashing to capture her final presence as she rejoins the team.]
OPEN MATS
The Intuit Dome
JOHN KARTHAN: “Combinations! High low, low high! Mix it up and keep that range!”
[The Intuit Dome forum converted to the open mat for the fans of fight week to see their favorite fighters to interview, interact and watch them perform. On the stage of open mats surrounded by fans is Verona Jimenez working the pads, throwing combinations that are short, crisp and technical. The long reach of jobs, short hooks and uppercuts plus her movement from different angles rather than moving back to have her hips be lined up for a takedown. Some of the fans are holding up the Mexican flag for their support of their champion.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Do not back up straight after the combinations! The moment you back up, she shoots. Short hooks, long jab, back up and switch directions. You want to keep her guessing.”
[Verona’s punches are like pistons firing with extreme pressure. The jab hitting the punching pad is quick and powerful but the short hook and uppercuts are like bombs exploding. She doesn’t throw a string of combinations when the pad holder walks forward, just a couple jabs and a hook or uppercut before bouncing on her feet either left or right.]
JOHN KARTHAN: “Pepper the jab moving forward then target the body! Mix it up!”
[Her string of combinations become aggressive only when she’s able to slip away from the takedown attempt. The powerful hooks and uppercuts plus keeping her body low for body shots and in preparation for the takedown is clear she’s ready for the five-round warfare. Once the bell ends, the fans start cheering and right on cue, Kayla Chapman joins the stage after Verona holds her championship belt.]
KAYLA CHAPMAN: “Verona Jimenez! We’re days away from your first title defense against Lucija Dragicevic. We know you’re ready but what can you tell us what you have in stored for UGP 69?”
[The fans cheer harmoniously and Verona smiles although being sweaty from the top to the waist down.]
VERONA JIMENEZ: “All I can say is that I will still be the featherweight champion. I am fighting for all my fans, mi Mexicanos, and proving that our blood is the strongest. I know Lucija is a great fighter but I’m the most dangerous opponent she’ll be facing and we’ll be throwing down. I’m ready for her wrestling, submissions, and striking. I’m ready to face her pressure, her spirit and I will still walk out the champion!”
