Hominick (photo via UFC.com)

By Kelsey Mowatt

It wasn’t that long ago that Mark “The Machine” Hominick was preparing for a bout with UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, but since his unanimous decision loss to the renowned fighter last April, the Canadian has suffered two more losses. Despite the setbacks, the decade plus veteran has been down the comeback road before, and Hominick hasn’t lost faith in his abilities to be a title contender.

“I think the UFC does this a lot; they put guys that are coming off tough losses, because you have to fight in there like your back is against the wall,” Hominick said recently on Full Contact Fighter Radio, while discussing his upcoming, November 17th bout with Pablo Garza. “I do feel that way. I have to go out there and win. I’m not going out there just to put on a great fight; I want to go out there and be a contender, and be a champion one day. It starts with Pablo.”

Garza is also in need of a win, as after recording wins over Fredson Paixao and Yves Jabouin in his first UFC appearances, he’s dropped back-to-back bouts against Dustin Poirier and Dennis Bermudez.

“I’m at a spot right now, coming off a loss, where I don’t have a lot of say in who they give me,” said Hominick (20-11), when asked for his reaction upon finding out he would face Garza (11-3) at UFC 154. “I said whoever they give me I’ll step up right away and do it. I’m lucky to get the opportunity in Montreal, and I believe I can beat anybody in the division. So, I’ve never really been too picky about my opponent, so whoever they gave me I would be ready to go.”

One aspect of the bout that immediately stands out is the difference in height between the two men. Garza, or “The Scarecrow”, is 6’1 tall while Hominick is 5’8. It should be noted, of course, that prior to facing Aldo, Hominick put away the 6’1 tall George Roop in less than 90 seconds.

“They have different skills, but the first thing that I started looking at with Pablo was his reach,” the 30 year-old Hominick noted. “It’s very hard to find guys at 145 that are over six foot. So, he’s used that to his advantage in other fights and I’m sure he’s going to try to use that against me as well.”

“That’s the biggest thing when I’m getting sparring partners; I’m getting guys that are over six feet and they’re all over 180 pounds at least,” added Hominick. “So I’m sparring with a little heavier punches then I’ll be dealing with in the fight which is good.”

Hominick finishing Roop (photo via UFC.com)

Of course, it remains to be seen how Garza’s reach will play in the fight with Hominick, and whether he will try to take the feared striker to the floor.

“I think he hasn’t seen anyone with my hand speed, my footwork, so I think that’s going to be a problem for him,” said Hominick. “To tell you the truth, I’m at the point in my career, where I’m more concerned with what I bring to the table. A lot of times you beat yourself up too much thinking ‘oh he’s going to do this,’ or ‘he’s going to do that’. I feel confident in what I bring to the table and that’s what I’m focusing on.”

What Hominick has brought to the table consistently throughout his career is an aggressive, forward style that has helped produce several memorable bouts, including of course, his fight with Eddie Yagin in April.

“I still think I won,” Hominick said about the split decision loss, which came after a quick knockout defeat to Chan Sung Jung last December. “I think I dominated the fight; all he did was score two knockdowns. As a judge, it’s hard to give someone the win when they did get knocked down twice in the fight, but again, people always go back to the judging…It was a great fight. I think could have utilized my kicks a little bit more. I went in there and treated it like a boxing match.”