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From Glendale to the Ultimate Stage
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| Alberto Crane, right, trains with Edmond Tarverdyan, right, at Glendale Fighting Club. |
Fighter Alberto Crane readies for an MMA return and a UFC debut
It’s a hot August morning that’s quickly transforming into an unbearable August afternoon.
But inside the Glendale Fighting Club, Alberto Crane is anything but distracted by the heat — in fact, he’s creating his own.
Endlessly he’s pushing, punching, stretching and running. His camo workout shorts and red short-sleeve shirt get darker and darker with sweat. When his floor exercises are finally through, he peels his shirt away, absolutely exhausted and absolutely content.
“I love training hard and the way I feel, it makes me happy,” he says. “I have to do this — no regrets.”
On this particular morning, there are no more than four people at a time in the small, corner gym — including Crane and gym proprietor and trainer Edmond Tarverdyan. But on Saturday night, Crane will step onto the biggest stage in the sport of mixed-martial arts when he fights lightweight contender Roger Huerta in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
He will walk out in front of nearly 20,000 screaming fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, all of them gathered for UFC 74: Respect.
“I’ve been in some high-profile events before, so I think that helps me,” says Crane, a former King of the Cage title holder. “I feel good about it, God willing, I’ll stay calm. I’m just gonna go out there and do my best.”
The UFC is, without reservation, the biggest MMA organization in the world, though. And it’s taken the 31-year-old Crane a long time to get there.
Just out of high school, he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu.
“I fell in love with it,” says the BJJ Black Belt and 2002 World Champion.
His jiu-jitsu prowess transferred well into the mixed-martial arts world. In June of 2002, Crane debuted in his native New Mexico, winning via choke — winning by submission.
It was the first of seven submission wins, as Crane built an 8-0 record — with only one bout going to decision.
Talks with the UFC came and went and Crane hasn’t fought an MMA fight in over two years now.
“I wasn’t really committed to MMA,” he says. “I kept fighting, trying to find my desire.”
Grappling and jiu-jitsu competitions and teaching his art kept him busy.
Then, “I married an Armenian girl,” and Crane, now a proud father of a three-month-old son, made his way to Glendale five months ago.
Almost simultaneously, he began teaching and training at the Glendale Fighting Club.
“The whole gym loves him, we love having him here,” Tarverdyan says. “He’s one of the most disciplined and focused and respectful guys.”
Crane also received word from UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva.
“He sent me an e-mail out of the blue,” Crane recalls. “I was in the process of moving.”
Huerta, one of the UFC’s rising stars, seemed to always be in the cards, although Crane says contender Din Thomas was also a possibility. Dates for May and June were offered, but Crane needed his time.
“Mentally, I wasn’t there,” he admits.
And he knows his best is needed against Huerta, who’s fought 12 times since Crane’s last bout. A no-contest was the only blemish in that time, with four of his 11 wins coming in the UFC. Indeed, Huerta is the favorite, the proven commodity.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t know who I am because I’ve been off the radar,” says Crane, who left for Las Vegas on Tuesday. “But I’ve been here, I’ve been here for a long time.”
Huerta admits that he’s not all that familiar with his foe, but he knows enough.
“I do know that he’s a world-class jiu-jitsu specialist,” says Huerta, a striking and wrestling stylist who’s 19-1-1 with nine knockouts. “He’s had a layoff in MMA, not in jiu jitsu and the other stuff he’s been doing. He’s very healed up and ready to go.”
Ready for what remains to be seen, though?
Crane’s ground game is clearly his strength and, while Huerta is viewed as a stellar all-around fighter, he makes no bones about his intentions.
“I do want to keep it standing,” Huerta says. “I want to go for a knockout.”
Enter Tarverdyan, an accomplished professional muay-thai boxer. Alternating days training grappling and jiu jitsu in North Hollywood with Team Hayastan and in West Hollywood with Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Crane has called on Tarverdyan to round out his game.
“Alberto’s striking has really improved,” Tarverdyan says. “We’re working a lot on the defensive because Roger Huerta’s a constant striker.
“Alberto’s ready to do what he needs to do.”
Many would wager that if Crane is to win Saturday, he needs to take the fight to the octagon canvas in hopes of submitting Huerta. But, then again, all of his work with Tarverdyan hasn’t just been about defense.
“If he’s smart, he’ll try and keep it standing,” Crane warns. “MMA’s such a crazy game, that if he’s too worried about me taking him down, maybe he’ll leave something open.”
In the always unpredictable world of MMA, there are few certainties — Crane offers three.
The first, win or lose, he’ll be back in California on Sunday, as he can’t wait to see the BJJ World Championships in Long Beach.
Second, no matter what the always game Huerta throws him, Crane is ready to battle.
“He breaks people’s spirit,” Crane states. “I guarentee you this — he won’t break me.”
And lastly, Crane is back.
He’s back doing what he loves.
“No matter what happens, I’ll keep training — I’m really excited,” he realizes. “I’m really excited just to be able to do it — I thought I was done.”
But inside the Glendale Fighting Club, Alberto Crane is anything but distracted by the heat — in fact, he’s creating his own.
Endlessly he’s pushing, punching, stretching and running. His camo workout shorts and red short-sleeve shirt get darker and darker with sweat. When his floor exercises are finally through, he peels his shirt away, absolutely exhausted and absolutely content.
“I love training hard and the way I feel, it makes me happy,” he says. “I have to do this — no regrets.”
On this particular morning, there are no more than four people at a time in the small, corner gym — including Crane and gym proprietor and trainer Edmond Tarverdyan. But on Saturday night, Crane will step onto the biggest stage in the sport of mixed-martial arts when he fights lightweight contender Roger Huerta in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
He will walk out in front of nearly 20,000 screaming fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, all of them gathered for UFC 74: Respect.
“I’ve been in some high-profile events before, so I think that helps me,” says Crane, a former King of the Cage title holder. “I feel good about it, God willing, I’ll stay calm. I’m just gonna go out there and do my best.”
The UFC is, without reservation, the biggest MMA organization in the world, though. And it’s taken the 31-year-old Crane a long time to get there.
Just out of high school, he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu.
“I fell in love with it,” says the BJJ Black Belt and 2002 World Champion.
His jiu-jitsu prowess transferred well into the mixed-martial arts world. In June of 2002, Crane debuted in his native New Mexico, winning via choke — winning by submission.
It was the first of seven submission wins, as Crane built an 8-0 record — with only one bout going to decision.
Talks with the UFC came and went and Crane hasn’t fought an MMA fight in over two years now.
“I wasn’t really committed to MMA,” he says. “I kept fighting, trying to find my desire.”
Grappling and jiu-jitsu competitions and teaching his art kept him busy.
Then, “I married an Armenian girl,” and Crane, now a proud father of a three-month-old son, made his way to Glendale five months ago.
Almost simultaneously, he began teaching and training at the Glendale Fighting Club.
“The whole gym loves him, we love having him here,” Tarverdyan says. “He’s one of the most disciplined and focused and respectful guys.”
Crane also received word from UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva.
“He sent me an e-mail out of the blue,” Crane recalls. “I was in the process of moving.”
Huerta, one of the UFC’s rising stars, seemed to always be in the cards, although Crane says contender Din Thomas was also a possibility. Dates for May and June were offered, but Crane needed his time.
“Mentally, I wasn’t there,” he admits.
And he knows his best is needed against Huerta, who’s fought 12 times since Crane’s last bout. A no-contest was the only blemish in that time, with four of his 11 wins coming in the UFC. Indeed, Huerta is the favorite, the proven commodity.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t know who I am because I’ve been off the radar,” says Crane, who left for Las Vegas on Tuesday. “But I’ve been here, I’ve been here for a long time.”
Huerta admits that he’s not all that familiar with his foe, but he knows enough.
“I do know that he’s a world-class jiu-jitsu specialist,” says Huerta, a striking and wrestling stylist who’s 19-1-1 with nine knockouts. “He’s had a layoff in MMA, not in jiu jitsu and the other stuff he’s been doing. He’s very healed up and ready to go.”
Ready for what remains to be seen, though?
Crane’s ground game is clearly his strength and, while Huerta is viewed as a stellar all-around fighter, he makes no bones about his intentions.
“I do want to keep it standing,” Huerta says. “I want to go for a knockout.”
Enter Tarverdyan, an accomplished professional muay-thai boxer. Alternating days training grappling and jiu jitsu in North Hollywood with Team Hayastan and in West Hollywood with Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Crane has called on Tarverdyan to round out his game.
“Alberto’s striking has really improved,” Tarverdyan says. “We’re working a lot on the defensive because Roger Huerta’s a constant striker.
“Alberto’s ready to do what he needs to do.”
Many would wager that if Crane is to win Saturday, he needs to take the fight to the octagon canvas in hopes of submitting Huerta. But, then again, all of his work with Tarverdyan hasn’t just been about defense.
“If he’s smart, he’ll try and keep it standing,” Crane warns. “MMA’s such a crazy game, that if he’s too worried about me taking him down, maybe he’ll leave something open.”
In the always unpredictable world of MMA, there are few certainties — Crane offers three.
The first, win or lose, he’ll be back in California on Sunday, as he can’t wait to see the BJJ World Championships in Long Beach.
Second, no matter what the always game Huerta throws him, Crane is ready to battle.
“He breaks people’s spirit,” Crane states. “I guarentee you this — he won’t break me.”
And lastly, Crane is back.
He’s back doing what he loves.
“No matter what happens, I’ll keep training — I’m really excited,” he realizes. “I’m really excited just to be able to do it — I thought I was done.”
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