With Win, Horodecki Climbs Hurdle of First Loss
Life After Schultz
Joe Hall Apr 7, 2008
If Horodecki was feeling the pressure of his potential, he doesn't
mention it now. The blemished record didn't bother him either.
"That's not even it," he said. "I felt disappointed in myself. I made a mistake. If that's the worst thing that happens, I have it pretty good.
"After that fight, I just regrouped. I've lost before in amateurs,
and it's the same feeling. I hate it, but it happens. What are you
going to do? You going to fall into a depression? It's fighting.
Someone has to lose."
In fact, everyone has to lose in mixed martial arts. When a prospect like Horodecki has taken his turn, all eyes focus on the first fight back. You simply can't know how a fighter will respond.
Horodecki started somewhat slow. Within a couple of minutes, however, he began punching in combinations and landing kicks to Lamotte's legs.
Lamotte, who entered the bout 6-2, caught a kick in the second round and turned it into a takedown. The crowd came to life. Horodecki was on his back again, and soon Lamotte's strikes were marking him up. The best punch was a good right hand to Horodecki's face, which for a split-second seemed as if it could turn a rally into an onslaught.
Horodecki needed to get up, and that's what he did. He kicked Lamotte in the chest, creating just enough space to stand and start back in on his combinations.
At the post-fight news conference, Horodecki was asked if being underneath Lamotte had summoned any "Schultz flashbacks." He explained that he had simply overcommitted on a kick, which got him taken down. The goal then was to get back up, and he did.
Lamotte took him down again in the third, but Horodecki's offense on the feet earned him the unanimous decision in a competitive fight. The match didn't generate much material for the Horodecki highlight reel. It was just a win, and that's all that was required of the young fighter.
"It was needed," Horodecki said of his performance. "It was needed -- to get in there and mix it up, throw hands and have somebody try to press the action on me. It felt good and it felt necessary."
Tompkins was watching from Horodecki's corner. Even he couldn't be certain how his fighter would return.
"It's really tough to see how a fighter is going to come off his first loss, especially after winning 13 fights in a row," he said. "There were a couple of times when his opponent came in for takedowns and worked out of the clinch for takedowns, and I know Chris' reaction time prior would have been faster. It was a little bit slow tonight because I think you have to get it out of your head that you got taken down before and you have to play it safe.
"I don't want to say that we wanted it to go past the first round, but I've seen [Horodecki] knock a lot of people out. It was nice tonight to see him put some time in the ring."
The three rounds Horodecki went Friday were his first in 2008. He'll be less active this year than the previous two, and Tompkins noted after the win over Lamotte that Horodecki will have a couple of months to rest and prepare before he goes again. The trainer also saw something in Horodecki's performance that let him guarantee a third meeting with Schultz.
"I've got all the faith in the world," Tompkins said. "This kid's not going to let me retire for a long time."
"That's not even it," he said. "I felt disappointed in myself. I made a mistake. If that's the worst thing that happens, I have it pretty good.
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In fact, everyone has to lose in mixed martial arts. When a prospect like Horodecki has taken his turn, all eyes focus on the first fight back. You simply can't know how a fighter will respond.
In Lamotte, the IFL matched Horodecki against a capable opponent he
was expected to beat. But anyone who didn't know Horodecki was
facing a psychological test Friday as much as a physical one only
had to watch the Schultz footage that kept replaying. The clips
might have been ill timed for the Horodecki camp, but they
certainly captured the importance of the bout.
Horodecki started somewhat slow. Within a couple of minutes, however, he began punching in combinations and landing kicks to Lamotte's legs.
Lamotte, who entered the bout 6-2, caught a kick in the second round and turned it into a takedown. The crowd came to life. Horodecki was on his back again, and soon Lamotte's strikes were marking him up. The best punch was a good right hand to Horodecki's face, which for a split-second seemed as if it could turn a rally into an onslaught.
Horodecki needed to get up, and that's what he did. He kicked Lamotte in the chest, creating just enough space to stand and start back in on his combinations.
At the post-fight news conference, Horodecki was asked if being underneath Lamotte had summoned any "Schultz flashbacks." He explained that he had simply overcommitted on a kick, which got him taken down. The goal then was to get back up, and he did.
Lamotte took him down again in the third, but Horodecki's offense on the feet earned him the unanimous decision in a competitive fight. The match didn't generate much material for the Horodecki highlight reel. It was just a win, and that's all that was required of the young fighter.
"It was needed," Horodecki said of his performance. "It was needed -- to get in there and mix it up, throw hands and have somebody try to press the action on me. It felt good and it felt necessary."
Tompkins was watching from Horodecki's corner. Even he couldn't be certain how his fighter would return.
"It's really tough to see how a fighter is going to come off his first loss, especially after winning 13 fights in a row," he said. "There were a couple of times when his opponent came in for takedowns and worked out of the clinch for takedowns, and I know Chris' reaction time prior would have been faster. It was a little bit slow tonight because I think you have to get it out of your head that you got taken down before and you have to play it safe.
"I don't want to say that we wanted it to go past the first round, but I've seen [Horodecki] knock a lot of people out. It was nice tonight to see him put some time in the ring."
The three rounds Horodecki went Friday were his first in 2008. He'll be less active this year than the previous two, and Tompkins noted after the win over Lamotte that Horodecki will have a couple of months to rest and prepare before he goes again. The trainer also saw something in Horodecki's performance that let him guarantee a third meeting with Schultz.
"I've got all the faith in the world," Tompkins said. "This kid's not going to let me retire for a long time."
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