Jansen to Olympian Shalorus: ‘I’m The Better Wrestler’

By Frank Curreri

Attention Kamal Shalorus: To hijack a phrase from Georges St-Pierre, Dave Jansen is ‘not impressed with your performance.’

On the wrestling mat, that is.

A former member of the British Olympic Wrestling team, Shalorus at one time was ranked among the 10 best freestyle wrestlers in the world. Jansen, a state champion grappler in high school, competed for two years at the Division I level (University of Oregon) before dropping out. Given the wide gulf between their wrestling pedigrees, Jansen’s analysis of Shalorus before their fight this Sunday is sure to raise some eyebrows.

“On paper he might be the better wrestler, but when it comes down to it I think I’m the better wrestler,” said Jansen, a Team Quest fighter who has trained with the likes of wrestling Olympians Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. “It would be a lot more impressive if he (Shalorus) had made the Iranian Olympic team, compared to the British team. I think I could make the British team (chuckles). I was a Division I wrestler, and when you add in punching most of the fundamentals of wrestling go out the window.”

Part of the WEC 46 main card, this is a Somebody’s O Must Go matchup; Jansen is 11-0, Shalorus is 5-0-1. There is a decent chance that the outcome will be decided on their feet, since often times a boxing or kickboxing match breaks out when two wrestlers collide. Should that hold true in this meeting, Shalorus is the more acclaimed puncher, having TKO’d four of his foes, compared to only one such stoppage for his Team Quest adversary.

“I’m going to confuse him,” vowed Shalorus, who was born in Iran and is thusly nicknamed “The Prince of Persia.” “I think there will be a lot of striking from both of us. If I see he’s too open I’m going to take him down.”

Coming off an 86-second demolition of Will Kerr in his WEC debut, Shalorus said the victory served as a reminder that his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills still have a long way to go. Shalorus fought off a heel hook attempt before punching Kerr into a state of oblivion. When he returned to Austin, Texas, where he resides, Shalorus started training more jiu-jitsu with WEC veteran and Relson Gracie Black Belt Phil Cardella and his students.

“Striking and wrestling are no problem,” Shalorus said. “If an opponent is going to catch me it’s going to be with jiu-jitsu.”

It is precisely that realm where Jansen figures to test Shalorus. Jansen is a finisher on the ground, with an especially dangerous concoction of anaconda, guillotine and rear naked chokes. The fact that Shalorus dispatched Kerr in short order doesn’t intimidate Jansen in the least.

“It’s a good matchup for me. He’s a striker with a wrestling background, but his striking game isn’t as crisp as some of the other guys I’ve fought,” Jansen said. “And I’m not saying striking is my forte (strength), but I’m straighter with my punches … He’s two dimensional: He can hit like a truck and he can wrestle like a bear. I think he’s going to come out throwing bombs. He doesn’t have a lot of lateral movement—he comes forward and he throws hooks. He throws hooks (chuckles). It doesn’t look like he goes to his wrestling like a lot of other wrestlers do. A lot of wrestlers get in the habit of striking even though that’s not their best attribute. That’s where Kamal is at this point in his career. He’s still an inexperienced fighter.”

Declaring himself in the best shape of his career, Jansen considers himself to be the favorite based on what he presumes to be better coaching and training partners. His strategy for this fight is “a lot of forward pressure.”

Shalorus, meanwhile, pronounced himself ready for the challenge.

“I’ve never been to California. I’m so excited,” he said. “It’s going to be a war. I want to prove myself. I’m promising victory. Yes, I’m going to win.”