Ray Cooper III returns to the PFL SmartCage this Friday, looking to land a spot in the welterweight finals and continue his journey as the defending 2019 champion.
With no 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, that means Cooper has a chance for back-to-back championships, no small feat regardless of the sport.
Keep in mind, successfully defending a title in the PFL isn’t the same as in other MMA promotions. It’s not just a title defense, but winning multiple fights, in the regular season, playoffs, and the final.
Cooper’s goal, however, is bigger than just winning another season, he told Cageside Press ahead of his showdown with Rory MacDonald this Friday atop the PFL Playoffs 1 card.
“It’s just a fight, winning the [2021] title would just be one step closer to just winning multiple championships,” Cooper stated. “I’m looking to be a longtime champion, like five to seven years reigning and winning this tournament.”
That said, Cooper recognizes how unique a situation he is in as he works his way to another potential championship. “It’s the first kind of season format in any organization in mixed martial arts. PFL is doing something that nobody else has done ever, except for Pride.”
Japan’s Pride is something Cooper, a second generation fighter, grew up watching.
“I was more of a Pride fan than a UFC fan, just because there was more exciting fights at the time Pride was fighting. They were selling out stadiums, 60,000 people, 70,000 people in Japan,” explained Cooper, “so it was a real big thing. The fighters in there were awesome, they came to fight every time.”
As mentioned, Cooper’s father, Ray Cooper Jr., was also a mixed martial artist. One who fought the likes of Frank Trigg, Jake Shields, and Antonio McKee. The difference between father and son is that for Ray Cooper III, fighting is his entire career.
“For him it wasn’t a passion like it is for me. It was a passion, but it was more of a hobby,” said Cooper III. “He wrestled in high school, the closest thing to that was fighting. They’d just come out with mixed martial arts at the time. It was a hobby for him, but watching him fight Jake Shields and Frank Trigg, it was awesome, and I knew I wanted to do that from when I was seven or eight years old.”
His dad’s biggest advice? Cooper said simply, “just to be humble.”
He’s taken that to heart, while representing Hawaii on the big stage at ESPN. Cooper is hoping that some day soon, he’ll be able to fight at home in front of his fans.
“Hopefully we get one in the future. We talked about it before,” Cooper said regarding the prospect of bringing the Professional Fighters League to Hawaii. “I really want the PFL to come over and do it. They’re more than happy about coming there too, it’s just a matter of getting things done with the state of Hawaii. Our state has a bunch of idiots that run the state. They make things complicated.”
Cooper is confident, however, that in future, “we will go to Hawaii.”
With the generational connection and plenty of fighting spirit, Cooper may very well be able to bring out the best in Rory MacDonald this Friday in Hollywood, Florida. The defending champ believes MacDonald did enough to win against Gleison Tibau, a controversial decision that went the other way.
Still, “as fighters, we cannot leave it in the judges hands,” noted Cooper, who referred to MMA judging as “kind of weird,” and suggested that former fighters be recruited to score fights.
With that in mind, Cooper will be looking for the finish this Friday. “I don’t think about going to the judges period in any of my fights. I always try to hunt for the finish every time, because it’s more exciting, and that’s what you’re supposed to do in a fight, or a competition, you need to finish the match.”
Just going to the scorecards leaves Cooper with a bad taste in his mouth. “My last fight, I went to the judges, and I was really disappointed in myself. I’m going to make that up this Friday night.”
As to how he sees his fight with MacDonald playing out, “I see the fight going in my favor. I’m going to dominate the fight where ever it goes,” said Cooper. “I’m going to go in there and punch a hole in his face, keep putting the pressure on him, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to handle my pressure.”
“He’s still that ruthless guy that fought everybody. Nate Diaz, B.J. Penn — that ruthless guy he was back when he was younger, I still think he’s the same guy.”
Fans have sometimes questioned whether the Rory MacDonald of today is the same Rory MacDonald that fought in the epic, brutal war with Robbie Lawler in 2015.
Cooper believes he is. “I’m sure that he’s still capable of doing that. He’s the same guy,” said Cooper, before adding that MacDonald may have tamed it down a little over the years. “But he’s still that ruthless guy that fought everybody. Nate Diaz, B.J. Penn — that ruthless guy he was back when he was younger, I still think he’s the same guy. He’s more tactical now, he’s more efficient with his skill set, but that doesn’t matter. What ever Rory shows up that night, I’ll be ready for any of them, and I don’t think he’s going to be ready for me.”
As a defending champ, Ray Cooper III appeared to have been slighted somewhat when MacDonald joined the PFL and debuted earlier this season. From day one, MacDonald has been presented as the welterweight division’s biggest star.
“A little bit,” Cooper said, acknowledging the slight, “but I really don’t revel in that, in me being the champion, because it’s a season. We all start off at zero. All the fighters are the same in the beginning of the season. You’ve got to work your way through the tournament, work your way to the playoffs, work your way to the finals match, and then you can call yourself the champion of that season. But all the attention on him, it’s alright, I really don’t care, because when it comes down to the fight, everybody knows who’s the main event, and who’s gonna bring the fight. And I bring the fight every time.”
Ray Cooper III and Rory MacDonald collide in Hollywood, FL this Friday, August 13, live on ESPN 2 (TSN in Canada).
