Nate Mohr Pre-UFC 93 Interview

Lightweight Nate Mohr is set to return this Saturday at UFC 93 after missing out the entire 2008 due to a knee injury suffered at UFC 79 in December 2007.

With no tune-up necessary, the 25-year-old out of Curran Martial Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois will make his fourth appearance for the UFC on Saturday, taking on Dennis Siver on the undercard of the pay-per-view televised event.

Mohr spoke to MMAFighting.com last Thursday before leaving for Ireland about his recovery process and this must-win fight.

MMAFighting.com: The last time we saw you in the Octagon, you suffered a nasty injury against Manny Gamburyan. How has the recovery process been?

Nate Mohr: I ended up tearing 3-4 ligaments in my meniscus. It was a little more of a freak accident than a little more than a [submission] lock. The recovery, it's been a little over a year, I had to spend a lot of that time in crutches, and work my way back. Around six months in rehab and then slowly build myself back up to be able to train and do MMA-type training.

MMAFighting.com: It was an achilles lock that Manny had you in, so the fight was over moreso cause of the injury?

Mohr: I'm not saying that he wouldn't have gotten the lock, but I felt at the time, I was in an okay position and what it was, was just a lot of things coming into the equation that just didn't equal out to something that was going to work out. The way that his leg, the position, the both of us, and me trying to sit up and punch and extend my body across my leg all at the same time. It just didn't work out.

MMAFighting.com: Have you ever had an injury like that?

Mohr: I've never had anything like that before that serious.

MMAFighting.com: What's life been like the past year?

Mohr: Mainly focusing on getting back in the ring. Setting short goals for myself. Getting started from just getting out of rehab, to being able to walk. Well first being able to be on crutches, this and there, getting off, being able to unlock the leg brace and being able to get rid of the leg brace altogether. Ride a bike, jogging, and then trying to box, get on the ground and that's basically been the whole year. Building up slowly and slowly.

MMAFighting.com: You'll be fighting European fighter Dennis Siver. What are your thoughts on him?

Mohr: I think it will be a tough match. Tough guy, well rounded. Gonna come in, wanna bang, wanna beat me up, so I'm looking forward to a tough match.

MMAFighting.com: In you losses inside the Octagon, you've had to face a couple of grapplers, including BJJ black belt Kurt Pelligrino. Are you glad you're matched up this time against someone who'll probably want to throwdown with you?

Mohr: Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm really excited to be able to just throwdown in the ring. Manny chose to shoot on me right away and so did Kurt and I had that one match hat didn't go down at all, but yeah I'm really excited to be able to stand up in the ring with someone who will anticipate the same thing.

MMAFighting.com: Dennis has lost his last two, you're 1-2 in the UFC. Do you feel any extra pressure to win? I'm sure he's feeling the same way.

Mohr: Yeah, he's probably feeling the exact same way. We both got two losses, and I'm not gonna let the pressure get to me. I've already had enough pressure throughout the year, I'm just gonna go into this fight and have some fun.

MMAFighting.com: You graduated pre-med. Do you have any intentions to pursue a medical career after fighting?

Mohr: I have full intentions to go back. It's funny, with the knee injury, I decided after that, that's the direction I'm going to shoot for. The doctors were real cool and I think he's going to write me a recommendation. He was less motivational for me to go back to fight, he was like 'you got to go back to school" and I was like "no, no I can't. This is what I want to do right now. I enjoy this and won't be able to do this forever.

MMAFighting.com: Is Jeff Curran still your main camp?

Mohr: Yeah, it’s the only place I train. Every now and then I go home, but I mainly stay with Jeff.

MMAFighting.com: You walked out to Scissor Sisters' "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" last time. Fun choice.

Mohr: That's just something I've always done. The last couple of times I was able to pick something and all the times before that I've always picked something a little crazy. Something fun, something you don't expect. More or less the fact that I'm coming out there it's not completely business, I'm there to have fun too.

MMAFighting.com: Is there a story behind that song?

Mohr: That song? No, I had heard it one day and said that was gonna be my song. I would always joke about it and people would always call it my song. I always play it at the bar I'm working at and I always play it. It's a weird song that just somehow seem to fit.

MMAFighting.com: Good luck on your fight in Ireland. Before we go, is there anything you'd like to say or anyone you'd like to thank?

Mohr: My training partners Jeff Curran, Bart Palaszewski and Doug Mango. Three guys that are always there for me. My guy who always takes care of sponsors, Brian Butler with Suckerpunch. TapouT. And I would also like to thank the UFC for letting me fight again.