‘The Rhino’ Settles in for what he hopes is a Long Reign

By Frank Curreri

If you love seeing knockouts and finishes, and watching hard-hitting fighters who throw caution to the wind, then Doug Marshall is your kind of guy.

His nickname, "The Rhino", perfectly fits his style inside the cage. From the opening bell, the 205-pound WEC champion usually wastes little time attacking foes. He swings for the fences with his punches and whacks away at opponents with devastating kicks. For Marshall, every second is a hunt for a victory that cannot be disputed, that leaves no doubt who was the superior fighter. He wants the ringside judges and the scorecards to be irrelevant.

So when Marshall says his upcoming fight with Ariel Gandulla, scheduled for five rounds, is not going the distance, there is no reason to doubt him. The simple fact is, in Marshall's 4-year career, not one of his eight fights has ever gone the distance. Marshall doesn't even know what it's like to come out for a third round. His longest fight lasted less than 8 minutes.

"Every combination that I throw has bad intent on it," says the 30-year-old Marshall (6-2), declaring he would rather lose an exciting fight than win a boring one. "I don’t go out there and double jab ‘em, try to pick ‘em apart ... I wanna do what’s really exciting. The fans want to see blood, they want to see knockouts and people sleeping. I have a ton of respect for jiu-jitsu fighters. I am a jiu-jitsu fighter myself. But I believe the average fan would just rather see (a stand-up war).

"There’s no greater self-gratification than looking at your opponent face-down on the mat. Just knowing I just beat that man’s ass.”

Of course, Marshall envisions the Dec. 12 showdown will end with Gandulla (4-0) stretched out on the canvas and in need of referee intervention. Only one of Gandulla's fights has gone the distance. A native of Cuba who trains at one of the best camps in the sport, American Top Team, Gandulla is built like an All-Pro linebacker. Gandulla's punching power on his feet, despite his bulging biceps and massive shoulders, remains to be seen. But his high-level takedowns and ground-and-pound skills could pose problems for Marshall. Thus, Marshall, unlike many fighters, is not shy about divulging his blueprint for victory.

“Obviously I’d like to keep it on the feet and win by a devastating knockout," Marshall says. "But I feel like once he tastes my power and finds out he doesn’t have an answer for it, doesn’t have the chin for it, he’s going to want to take it to the ground. He seems like a big strong guy. He’s training with American Top Team, he’s got fast hands. I'll tell you one thing: I don't think he’s faced an opponent like myself. He’s faced opponents, but he hasn’t tangled with The Rhino yet.

“Ariel Gandulla, he’s a big muscle-bound dude. But being B-I-G don’t make you B-A-D. And on Dec. 12 he will definitely know that he’s been in a fight.”

In Marshall's mind, he is privileged to be in this position. He proudly hails from Visalia, Calif., and still calls the city home, even though he survived some of its meanest streets. He was a skateboarder during those developmental years. Growing up, partying and fist fighting were a way of life. Now, while many of his friends are in jail or prison, Marshall owns his own flooring company and will soon be fighting in another televised title fight.

Marshall has a 7-year-old son, Gavin, who will stay home and watch the fight on Versus. He keeps a tattoo of the boy on his thigh. It is one of many artworks on Marshall's body. He estimates there are 40 or so tattoos on his entire body ("Too many, not enough," he jokes). A huge cross covers his upper chest. A permanent portrait of his title belt is inscribed on his forearm.

Marshall came into the fight game weighing well over 250 pounds. His more svelte frame is a testament to his own dedication and discipline. The former party boy, when in training, now turns down invitations to hit the bars. He gets to bed by 11 p.m. on most nights. He's up by 7 a.m. and drives over an hour each morning to the gym. He says no one should underestimate his ground game (He does have a first-round win via armbar, after all).

"The Rhino is always evolving," he notes.

But more and more friends these days don't call him "The Rhino." They call him "Champ." He's learning to like that title. And predicts that, courtesy of his go-for-broke style, he will be WEC champ for a long time to come.

"Right now, its kind of my time,” he says. “In five years, I think I’ll still be the champion, sitting on top of the food chain, representing central California and knocking people out.”