Relentless’ Paul Taylor’s big break
Such was the impact of opponent Zelg Galesic’s knee that Taylor’s humerus (major forearm bone) was broken so badly he would later require surgery.
When two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia had his forearm snapped by Frank Mir back in 2004, the referee in charge stopped the fight immediately. However, on April 10, 2005 in the British port town of Bristol, the official in charge of Taylor’s fight didn’t notice that one of the combatants was severely injured.
And Taylor - who fights Edilberto Crocota at UFC 70 on April 21 - sure wasn’t going to mention it…
“I knew my arm was messed up pretty badly right away,” Taylor said. “But I didn’t let on. I even didn’t tell my trainer, Jon Roberts, because I knew he’d have pulled me out of the fight if he thought I was going to try and win with a broken arm. I just continued fighting for the remainder of the second round with the arm broke, kept quiet about it in the corner between rounds, and then came out for the third determined to pay the guy back for the injury.”
Talk about a will to win: incredibly, not only did the Walsall (English midlands) based fighter finish the fight in the third, he did so with strikes using the same arm which had been shattered just minutes before.
“After the adrenaline wore off the arm did hurt quite a bit,” the Brit deadpanned. “I had an operation and they had steel plates put in and now I’ve got a nice scar on my arm. “
Taylor’s victory is all the more impressive when you consider that it was the only loss of Galesic’s career and that the Croatian subsequently embarked on a five fight rampage through the European ranks which includes a first round KO of former UFC fighter Mark Weir.
Yet for Taylor, 7-1 (with one ‘no contest’) in his mixed martial arts career, it was just another win en route to reaching the pinnacle of mixed martial arts: the UFC.
“Getting to the UFC was my long-term goal when I started training MMA six years ago. It is the top of the mountain in mixed martial arts and it will be an honour to fight on a UFC card, especially on such a huge card in an arena like the MEN Arena in Manchester.”
Much of the huge throng of British UFC fans’ attention will be on charismatic Ultimate Fighter III winner Michael Bisping, who has appeared in a blizzard of national newspaper and magazine articles ahead of the UFC’s first UK show in five years.
However, Taylor is also hoping to give the home fans something to cheer about himself.
He said, “Michael Bisping is a very good fighter and a good personality, people like him and respect him and I think he’s doing an amazing job of pushing British MMA forward. But obviously, I want to establish myself in my own right and not be known as one of the British guys who fights on UK cards alongside Michael Bisping.
“I’ve every confidence I can make a name for myself off my own back in the UFC and not need to ride anyone’s coat-tails.”
Like Bisping, Taylor is predominantly a striker who has an outstanding pedigree in kickboxing (and to a lesser extent, boxing). |
