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UFC 82
Victory could give Hazelett spotlight
Friday, February 29, 2008
Although 22-year-old mixed martial arts fighter Dustin Hazelett competes on MMA's biggest stage and trains with some of the sport's biggest stars, his status as a relative unknown isn't disconcerting.
In fact, the Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor says it can be downright funny.
Extras
Take for instance his fight this past summer at UFC 72, an event that took place in Northern Ireland. Hazelett fought on the undercard, and training partner and former middleweight champ Rich Franklin headlined the event.
Both Hazelett and Franklin train at a West Chester MMA academy run by Jorge Gurgel, another UFC fighter. All three of them were in Belfast for UFC 72 and decided to take a tour of the area.
"It was a mob scene," said Hazelett, who fights Josh Koscheck at the UFC 82 event in Columbus on Saturday, March 1. "Everyone recognized Rich and Jorge. Everyone wanted autographs. Meanwhile, I just kind of stood there. No one really knew who I was."
Finally, though, after watching his teammates scribble their signatures for hundreds of fans, Hazelett was approached by a young Irish woman.
"She kind of did a double-take and asked, 'Aren't you Dustin Hazelett?' " he said.
Finally, he thought.
"She asked me if she could get an autograph," he said. "I was kind of flattered. And then she says, 'Yeah, you're fighting my husband on Saturday.'
"Go figure. The only person who recognized me was the wife of the guy I'm fighting."
Hazelett won that fight — and the one after it in September. The victories pushed his career mark to 10-3, which includes a 3-1 record in the UFC. In fact, he's lost just once in his past eight fights.
Still, the lack of attention doesn't bother him.
"I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I rarely go out," Hazelett said. "I'm not a big party guy, so I'm pretty low-key. I don't really live the celebrity lifestyle."
However, his weekend's fight could make him an overnight star. Despite his recent success, Hazelett is considered a huge underdog to Koscheck, an NCAA Division I national wrestling champ who has emerged as one of the welterweight division's top contenders.
"I'm young, so I have a lot of time to build up my name," Hazelett said. "However, I know that a win (over Koscheck) could get me a lot of attention.
"It might even mean a few more autographs."
How to go
The Ultimate Fighting Championship hosts official fighter weigh-ins today, Feb. 29, in preparation for Saturday's big pay-per-view event. Meet Hazelett and the event's other 19 fighters.
What: UFC 82 weigh-ins
When: 3 to 5 p.m. today
Where: Nationwide Arena in Columbus
Cost: Free
