Baroni Booked for Welterweight Debut at Cage Rage 27

Phil Baroni
("All day! All night! You feel! My heat! Feel, feel, feel, feel my heat!")

Big news for people who care what weight class Phil Baroni fights at: MMA Weekly reports that in light of his three consecutive losses — to Frank Shamrock, Kala Kolohe Hose, and Joey Villasenor — the New York Badass is dropping from middleweight to welterweight, and will make his 170-pound debut on July 12th at Cage Rage 27, against a British fighter to be named later. Baroni explained his decision in a post on Sherdog.net:

Im making the move because I want to be a World Champion. I dont fight for pay day's or fame, to be on tv or chick's. I got into MMA because I wanted to be the best fighter in the world.

This is what I feel at this point in my career I need to do. Im feel Im a better fighter than Ive shown in the ring esp as of late.

As far as the move to Welter Weight goes I feel great. Im more athletic. Im in much better condition, my hand speed is back, an I would go as far as to say Im alot quicker than I was at my previous best.

Im not going to make any predictions or promises. Ive been very humbled as of late. Ive been handed a real wake up call.

Im going to give it my all 100% and do my best. Its Do or Die for me. Im All In! I love to fight. Im a real fighter, an like I said the day I dont think I can be a World Champion is the day Ill retire.

Im not done yet, I have alot of fight left inside me. I have alot to prove to myself an alot of people to prove wrong.

NEVER SAY DIE !!!

NYBA

Later, on the UG, Baroni added:

The cut will not be a hard one. Its alot harder eating six huge protien meals a day, trying to bulk up so that when I cut Im a legit 185. Atleast by how much muscle I carry, an how much I weigh an have to cut from. At one seventy, Ill only eat less, an do more roadwork. Its just a slight tweak. Im walking around right now 185...I just want to show everyone what I got. My best. An in doing that my body has responded by changing to a welterweight...Im not making the move fo easy fights. Im making the move to become a better fighter. My goals are the same as before. Just a little humbler in my approach.

I've long been a fan of Baroni's showmanship, so I wish him all the best. But let's face reality — size was never Phil's problem. What's kept him from being a successful fighter as of late is his woeful lack of conditioning and his "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" approach to ground-fighting. Shedding 15 pounds of muscle won't address either issue, but at least it creates a little bit of interest in Baroni's next match. Still, if the NYBA can't beat the 170-pound crumpet that Cage Rage throws at him, it's probably time to leave the game for good.

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Comments

sol Says:

Sun, 06/22/2008 - 18:20

Baroni says he has been humbled, where are those flying pigs at?

Aryan Says:

Sun, 06/22/2008 - 18:23

"I dont fight for pay day’s or fame, to be on tv or chick’s" no not at all. we know from watching the last fights entrance

Kevin Marshall Says:

Sun, 06/22/2008 - 18:43

His insistence on substituting "and" with "an" and "for" with "fo" - clearly not typos since he does it repeatedly - makes me somehow hate him even more than his charisma-less, cheeseball entrance at the last EliteXC.

But he's right, the drop to Welterweight will be easy since his body is deteriorating at a rate of 3 to 4 pounds a week anyway.

kimbos dad Says:

Sun, 06/22/2008 - 23:11

God i hate this douche nozzle

JohnS Says:

Mon, 06/23/2008 - 00:16

I really must say that his enterance to the CBS show made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. But he says he is humbled, lets judge by his next enterance.

GSP for Prime Minister Says:

Mon, 06/23/2008 - 00:21

Phil Baroni is seriously the biggest douchebag in MMA... he's like the Mike Matesow of MMA... ive hated him since i heard his annoying little high pitched "new york badass" voice!!!!!!!!

Ric Flair Says:

Mon, 06/23/2008 - 03:37

Baroni makes a Great Ric Flair. All he needs to do is Whoo and chicken walk. The problem with being Ric Flair is it works when the fighting is not for real. In the MMA, the fists don't taste goo. Do they Baroni? You should know since you seem to be eating a steady diet of them.

Baroni is a douche Says:

Mon, 06/23/2008 - 15:09

I am so confused but this f'n douche bag. This clown needs to be in WWE because he is everything he says he is not trying to be. I am not sure what world he is a champion of because his fight record speaks differently. Since his comment "I got into MMA because I wanted to be the best fighter in the world." shows he is not going to be the best in the world so please for the love of god stop fighting and open up a beauty salon in NY that caters to douche bags, plucked eyebrows and all.