By Dustin De La Torre
Coming off his spectacular performance against former featherweight title contender Mark Hominick at UFC 145, Fight Hub TV correspondent Dustin De La Torre had a chance to speak with the rising prospect. “The Filipino Phenom” also shares his thoughts on being a heavy underdog in the bout with Hominick as well as a funny story of another encounter he had with his opponent outside of the UFC octagon.
FHTV: Talk about your fight with Mark Hominick.
EY: It was a war. Going into the third round I was motioning my arms to pump up the crowd. I could see Mark looking at me and I was looking at him thinking wow his face is f***ed up, my face is f***ed up, this is a good ass fight, we have fight of the night!
FHTV: Did you think you had Mark finished in the first or second round?
EY: Honestly when a knockout comes it comes. I have been in situations where I thought I knocked out someone and I did not and next thing I know, I am gassed out. A lot of times fighters make the mistake of thinking they are going to finish their opponent and their opponent is just as tough as them and they (opponents) wake up from the daze that they get and they blown a bunch of gas because they got to excited. For me it comes when it comes. I felt like I was very close but it did not come because Mark is tough. He lived up to his nickname of “The Machine”; he was tough as hell. I went back and reviewed the fight a few times. In round one I hit mark and I knocked him out for a half second then I hit him again and I would wake him up and then he grabbed my arms. Mario Yamaski was right their and saw it all. It showed what kind of warrior Mark is.
FHTV: Does the fight rank as the best win of your career or was claiming the Tachi Palace title rank as your most significant victory?
EY: This is the biggest one of my career, Mark Hominick is a big name. Nothing to take away from my past opponents like Joe Soto but this is the biggest victory of my career. Being on the UFC stage with the fight on pay per view is what made it bigger. It gave me the recognition that I felt like I should received before from all these years of fighting. Only now am I getting the respect from people all of the world that have been hating on me for years saying all my other wins were fluke wins. I was glad to show everyone that I could not only stand and bang with someone of Mark’s caliber but also come out with the victory
FHTV: You and Mark put on the fight of the night and received the bonus for it. What’s that feeling like knowing you two put on the best fight of the card?
EY: You know after all these year of fighting, I feel like I will finally get the recognition that I have deserved for a long time. I have been fighting for twelve years and it took one fight thanks to the UFC and Mark. It was very emotional for me, there were times were I almost retired because it was tough. I am glad everything came out the way it did. I have learned so much along my career in the cage and outside and I am going to sit on my money.
FHTV: How thankful are you to have an organization like Tachi Palace around?
EY: It let me prove myself along the way just like you said it is where we little guys get to showcase our skills. I am so thankful for them.
FHTV: How do you feel emotionally and physically?
EY: I feel a lot better than I did on Saturday. After the fight I got to spend some more time with Mark in the emergency room. He was the first person I saw when I walked into the building. His face was f***ed up and so was mine, we looked at each other and smiled. We took a picture together and just thanked each other and I respect that so much because he is a complete professional. It was a fitting way to end such a great night.
FHTV: You are suspended for the next 30 days with no contact for 21 days, what do you plan on doing with your time off?
EY: I am going to relax and spend some time with my family and friends. I am going to enjoy my time with my kids and lady and just enjoy some time off and enjoy them.
FHTV: When you return back to action who would you like to fight next?
EY: I want to fight the best bangers in my division. I want someone with a name in the UFC, I want the big names to call me out. I do not mind being the 7-1 underdog again but I want guys to come challenge me. I do not think I will ever be a big underdog again but I like to shock the world and rain on parades. I am living my dream and that is a hater’s worst nightmare. I think about that everyday and that motivates me. The fans are just barely seeing the beginning of Eddie Yagin. It is only the beginning of what I am going to show the world.
FHTV: Where does this victory put you in the featherweight division?
EY: I am not rushing for a title shot or anything I just want to win fights and then it will come. I want to fight the best. If a title shot is offered to me I will take it no matter what. All I care about is fighting the best in the world.
FHTV: Going into the fight did you feel like fans and media were counting you out?
EY: Oh yeah. I heard that I was just put in to get Mark a victory. I felt like I was set up to lose in everyone’s eyes. I felt like it was a great opportunity for me to shock the world. I like to capitalize on people counting me out I have been a underground in every single of my fights and I love it
FHTV: Would you like to thank anyone?
EY: I would like to thank my agent Jason House and the rest of Iridium Sports, Jeremy Luchau of Tachi Palace, he has always believed in me and helped me a lot along the way. Kong submission academy, Alliance MMA, Hawaii, Grappling Unlimited even though I have not spoke to some of these people in years I keep them close to my heart. I got Grappling Unlimited tattooed on my arm they all mean something to me. I want to thank all my family and friends for the endless support.
