Between Rounds: Irvin talks training for Silva

On this week's edition of "Between Rounds," UFC light heavyweight James Irvin talks about what will be the biggest fight of his career this Saturday when he takes on Anderson Silva.

ON WHAT HE EXPECTS FROM SILVA:

"I expect him to be crafty. I expect him to really go out there and try to dictate the pace of the fight. I expect him to hold the center of the ring and have ring control. For him to be the general in there.

"He's in and out of southpaw to conventional. And that really spins people's heads off when he does that.

"If anything I'm thinking about certain things he will do that I'm just going to explode on . When he goes into southpaw I already have things coming. When he goes back into conventional I already have things coming. And that's the best game plan I can have on him."

ON HOW HARD HE IS BEING PUSHED BY HIS COACHES:

"They have had me in tears a few times this past month and they are just trying to put it on me. You always hear, 'the harder you train, the easier it is in the fight' and that's what they are putting on me right now.

"He's (World renowned Muay Thai trainer Ganyao Fairtex) just trying to hurt me I think half the time. I've had sore ribs already, been banged up and had black eyes. But that is as real as it's going to be, and that's how it's going to look, so that's how we are training."

ON WHERE HE STANDS IF HE DEFEATS SILVA:

"Everyone keeps asking me that and I can't answer it. I just can't answer it. I would just feel arrogant to say I have plans or could even picture past this fight. Its just such a big opportunity with him that I just can't look past this fight. I just can't.

"Everything is building up to this fight. All my training and he's just too big of an opponent to look past. I can't even imagine. I'm sure it will open a lot of doors but I just can't imagine. There's just too much on my plate right now to look past him."

To hear the entire interview with Irvin, listen to "Between Rounds," the official radio partner of MMAFighting.com. On this week's show, hosts David Hiza and Ken Gonzalez preview Saturday's two big events, "UFC: Silva vs. Irvin" and "Affliction: Banned."