Channeling Balboa

‘Fighting for food money’

Nearly two years passed between Quarry’s loss to Franklin at UFC 56 and his return against Pete Sell at UFC Fight Night 11 in 2007. Having previously defeated the New Yorker on a controversial stoppage, Quarry saw Sell as a hungry opponent looking to redeem himself after their first confrontation. The imminent threat Sell posed did not weigh heavily on his mind, however.

“That whole fight, leading up to [it], was one of the most trying times in my life,” Quarry says.

Quarry had parted ways with Team Quest. Love for his teammates was overshadowed by disagreements with management. A conversation with Diego Sanchez -- the middleweight winner on season one of “The Ultimate Fighter” -- influenced Quarry’s decisions. When asked where he trained, Quarry pointed to Team Quest.

“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Sanchez told him with a stern look.

“Getting that from Diego,” Quarry says, “it’s like, ‘What the hell?’”

Still, Quarry made the change. He had no training partners while preparing for his rematch with Sell, and coaching was scant. The fight was more than an opportunity to rebound from a title loss.

“I was fighting for food money. I wasn’t fighting for honor and pride,” Quarry says. “It was to provide for my family and to show the rest of the world that you don’t have to accept what people tell you. You can’t turn things around on your own. Hopefully, with the help of friends and other supporters, [you can] get back to the top again.”

Sponsorship was scarce, and it was barely enough. When he arrived in Las Vegas, he called one of his sponsors and implored them to kick him some cash because he had nothing to eat during fight week. They gave him $500.

“Fighting for me isn’t a hobby,” Quarry says. “When I get to fight time, it’s an obsession.”

Finally, on Sept. 19, 2007, he climbed into the cage to meet Sell. Hitting the ground in the second round, it looked grim for Quarry, but he connected in the third and put down Sell for good. Quarry earned $10,000 to show, $10,000 to win and took home generous “Knockout of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” bonuses. His fortunes had once again turned.

An eye-opening evolution

The relief that came with defeating Sell carried Quarry through to a new way of MMA life.

“I can honestly say,” Quarry says, “it’s only been in the past year and a half or two years that I’ve had really consistent coaching, where I’ve got guys that are just masters in their arts -- black belts in jiu-jitsu to roll with every single week, muay Thai coaches who have been doing muay Thai for 20 or 30 years and a boxing coach who’s so respected in the northwest.”

Top-flight preparation may prove invaluable when Quarry (10-2) tangles with Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia at UFC 91 “Couture vs. Lesnar” this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Another long layoff -- seven months -- has not bothered Quarry, who fought four times in seven and a half months when he started his UFC career. The 36-year-old pushes his body to the edge during training and aims to look like a new fighter each time he sets foot in the cage.

“They’re always working at building me up, not tearing me down,” says Quarry, who recently thanked the eccentric Sanchez for putting him on his current path.

His evolution has been an eye-opening experience. Quarry remembers meeting muay Thai coach Dan Burke for the first time. After being told he was only kicking at 40 percent of his capability for a man his size, he held the pads for his instructor. After three kicks from Burke, Quarry said no more. Burns on his forearms told the story. A recent trip to Sityodtong USA Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts and one three-minute round with trainer Mark DellaGrotte had the same effect.

“It was like a grown man sparring with a child,” Quarry says. “And I outweigh Mark by probably 30 to 40 pounds.”

Quarry expects a finish on either end when he meets the unbeaten Maia (8-0), a two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion. He wants to “see what happens” and seems relieved no one expects the fight to play out like the Starnes debacle seven months ago. Maia’s constricting submissions or Quarry’s knockout power will likely place one of the 185-pounders closer to a shot at Anderson Silva’s middleweight crown. Quarry has victory in mind but claims to be in no hurry for another crack at the belt.

After all, Rocky suffered a bit before getting his gold.