Bellator MMA and LFA vet Ty Gwerder returns to action this weekend as part of UFL 3 — in a rematch with Shane Sobnosky that also serves as a grand prix semifinal.
Ahead of the fight in Mesa, AZ, middleweight Gwerder (6-4), who trains with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, told Cageside Press that it’s been his best fight camp yet.
“Camp’s been good. I’d say it’s probably the best camp I’ve ever had to this date. I’m feeling strong, feeling healthy, and nothing went wrong so hopefully we can end this camp with a cherry on top,” Gwerder told us.
Fledgling UFL (United Fight League) made a splash when they announced health insurance for fighters, but that’s not what drew Gwerder to them. His relationship with the owners goes back to the Freedom Fight Night series of events. The health insurance news came later.
“The way they were hyping it, it didn’t even seem it was going to be anything out of the ordinary. I just was expecting maybe a little more money coming in to help the promotion grow faster — they had Rampage [Jackson] and all these guys that were a part of it,” noted Gwerder. “So I was like ‘maybe they’re cooking something up for this new promotion,’ and I think it was a little bit after they announced it, they were like ‘oh yeah we’re also going to be giving out insurance to the fighters.'”
The involvement of Rampage, Frank Mir, and other vets with UFL is a plus. Jackson in particular is someone Gwerder followed throughout his career.
“Yeah definitely. I watched Rampage from when he got in, from Pride days all the way right into the UFC. Watched him step on the scene, become a champion. It’s cool to have him around. Guys like Frank Mir, all guys around that generation that I grew up watching, come fight night it makes it more exciting to perform in front of the Hall of Famers.”
Ahead of his rematch with Sobnosky, a fight Gwerder started strong in before things took a turn, “a lot has changed,” he explained. There’s been plenty of growth since that first fight a year ago. “Mindset, definitely. Going into the Shane fight the first time, I was coming off a two fight losing streak. So my mental head space is very different now going in, because I’ve actually got a win, let alone a knockout finish. My confidence is back where I feel it needs to be. That alone I feel is going to be crucial for me going into this fight.”
“I think my skills have definitely grown, my striking has definitely got better, my IQ has got definitely a lot better, my grappling has gotten a lot better. I can say I’m very well-rounded, and I’ll be able to showcase that in the fight to come.”
Training at Xtreme Couture has been huge for Ty Gwerder, though his time on the regional scene has seen him struggle to land fights. That was even the case with Bellator, despite it being recognized as a world-class promotion. And the caliber of training partners at the Las Vegas gym likely had something to do with that.
Getting fights has been difficult for Gwerder throughout his career, he explained, “because I feel like a lot of people really looked into who I was training with, where I was training. I never really got to train with an amateur team, I never did train with an amateur team to be honest. Guys like Brad Tavares, Uriah Hall, Sean Strickland, guys that are very high level, top 15 in the UFC, those guys have always been my training partners. Guys like Chris Curtis.”
“I don’t get those feel-good rounds, and people see I’m getting work from the highest level guys in the sport,” Gwerder continued. “And I think that plays into people’s heads where, do they want to take fights against me or not?”
As for his future beyond the UFL grand prix, Gwerder is open to a number of options.
“If they [UFL] decide they want to keep me and they do big things there, I’ll stay. And if I get another call from the UFC or Bellator or PFL and that entices me to be excited about something, I’ll definitely take up those offers. But until then I’ve got to go win this belt first.”
Watch our full interview with UFL 3’s Ty Gwerder above. The event takes place Saturday, August 12, 2023 at Legacy Park in Mesa, Arizona. The card airs live on Rumble.
