Anthony Birchak’s return to the UFC after a four-year hiatus has had its up and downs, but he insists he’s not out after losing back-to-back fights in the big show.
Birchak says he’s just happy to collect a check from Dana White at 35 years old.
Birchak’s fighting journey has taken him from bouts at Casino del Sol, to competing in the UFC in Las Vegas — and becoming one of the more well-known fighters from Southern Arizona along with Flowing Wells High School grad Dominick Cruz and Safford native Justin Gaethje.
Now, Birchak is at a strange point in his career. Does he retire? Fight for the bantamweight world championship? Focus on coaching?
Birchak spoke to the Star’s Justin Spears on ESPN Tucson’s “Spears & Ali” to discuss his UFC return, what the future holds for him and Tucson’s next biggest star.
What’s new in the world of Anthony Birchak?
A: “Oh, man, I got so much stuff going on. The gym is blowing up. Tenth Planet Tucson and Toro Tech Martial Arts is the gym that I have here in Tucson right there on Speedway (Blvd.) and Swan (Road). We just have so many irons in the fire … and we’ve been nonstop and the energy has been amazing.”
Now that you’re a seasoned veteran in the MMA realm, what’s the dynamic like between coaching at your gym while also maintaining the hunger to fight in the UFC?
A: “It’s difficult, don’t get me wrong. It’s difficult to try and still propel myself to world championship level while also doing the same for my students. My students are some of my best training partners. They know me and give me the best looks that I could ever ask for, but it’s really hard and there are some times where I leave for Las Vegas and not have to worry about being a business owner or coach or something like that, and just focus on me as an athlete. That’s what I did for this camp, when I fought Tony Gravely. I ended up leaving Las Vegas for Xtreme Couture, which they’ve produced guys like Francis Ngannou, who is now the heavyweight champion of the world.
“The last guy to do that was Randy Couture himself, so they have an amazing coaching staff there that helped me out. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pull the last one out and ended up taking an L, but it’s still so amazing to be a coach and a fighter. I always preach about leading from the front. It’s not easy to do, but it’s definitely worth it when your students can see you implementing the technique and the knowledge that you teach them, and doing it at the highest level. It’s, ‘Look, the stuff that I’m teaching you works.’”
Before your two fights within the last year, the last time you stepped into a UFC octagon was July 2016. How did it feel to be back?
A: “It was different this time around, because there were no crowds. Only now are we starting to see events that have crowds. That UFC Jacksonville card was so electric and one of the most explosive cards that I’ve seen in a very, very long time. The crowd and the people cheering, it just adds that energy and a different aspect of getting the whole arena amped up and ready for the next fight.
“Unfortunately, the fights I had were at the UFC Apex (in Las Vegas) where there is now crowd. It’s literally 30 people and very, very alien. It’s not an atmosphere I enjoy. … But I fought Gustavo on three day’s notice and I didn’t have the preparation that I needed. The last fight, the same kind of thing. I got booked on three week’s notice against Brazilian fighter Johnny Eduardo, and he ended up having some visa issues, so they tried pushing my fight back one week to the Francis Nagannou-Stipe Miocic card, but (Eduardo) still couldn’t get his visa work done. The UFC flew me home for three days and literally the day I got back, they called me and said, ‘Hey, you gotta come back. We have a matchup for you and his guy sold out as well due to (COVID-19). So, you’re going to fight Tony Gravely.’
“It’s been kind of a whirlwind for me over the last part of my career in the UFC. I didn’t have the timeline to get ready and be prepared as well as getting the results that I needed, but that’s just the way business goes. It’s show business, but fortunately for me, I have a bunch of things to fall back on. I don’t know if I’m done yet. I’ve talked about retirement and maybe this is a time where I can wholeheartedly step into my coaching career and businessman suit. But you know what, man, I love this sport and I’m here to foster the growth of young champions out of Tucson, Arizona. We have a hotbed of athletes. Something I love doing is bringing up that next champion out of the Old Pueblo.”
Have you worked with former Sunnyside wrestling star Roman Bravo-Young, who just won a national championship at Penn State. Do you envision him becoming a UFC star at some point after college?
A: “Absolutely. I’ve known Roman since he was little, man. He used to get brought into the Sunnyside wrestling room in his little car carrier, and he would get up and then get into a wrestling stance. To see him grow into a young man who is one of the biggest names in USA Wrestling right now is amazing to see. … This is the kind of pedigree we need. He’s someone that’s super creative, super athletic and he’s someone that I think could easily jump into the UFC. I think he’s going to win an Olympic title first, but MMA is something I definitely see on the horizon for him. … I would not be surprised if we saw someone like RBY make that jump after he’s done with the freestyle wrestling scene.”
