The Weekly Wrap: Jan. 3 – Jan. 9

Quoteworthy

“He’s flat-footed, has no technique, but he can punch. That always helps. He’s accurate. He’ll follow you right to the floor, so he’s aggressive. But that aggressiveness can be used to our advantage, I think.” -- Boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who coaches Andrei Arlovski, discussing Fedor Emelianenko with SI.com’s Josh Gross

“I’d like to see Andrei win. He’s my guy, so I obviously want to see him beat Fedor [Emelianenko at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” on Jan. 24].” -- UFC President Dana White in an interview with ESPN The Magazine

“When you start doing jiu-jitsu, drilling the moves is really important. Eventually, you start doing an armbar before you even realize it. If you have to consciously realize it in a fight, it’ll be gone just as soon as you see it. Now I’m doing things before I realize it; it’s all muscle memory. Then what’s important are the concepts: taking away props so you can sweep and bending stuff the way it doesn’t go. It all becomes natural.” -- Dustin Hazelett talking to Sherdog.com about the tapout victory against Josh Burkman that earned him Submission of the Year

“That crowd was deathly silent. Normally the crowd, they love to see someone get knocked out; they cheer no matter who gets knocked out. When they didn’t cheer after I knocked out Chuck, it was so quiet in there. I felt like I did something wrong. When I walked away, I kind of threw my hands up, like, ‘Sorry,’ you know?" -- Rashad Evans recounting his Knockout of the Year at UFC 88 with Sherdog.com

“Our Olympic committee right now, and our USA wrestling, we’re losing some people to some of these fighting things because they can make more money. But at the same time, you don’t want to lose the kids to that, because we need our top guys in the Olympic freestyle program. We don’t want to bypass the opportunity to make money, but we don’t want to bypass the opportunity for a gold medal, because that means money, too.” -- Legendary U.S. wrestler Dan Gable during a television broadcast of the Midlands wrestling tournament

“Most guys in the Ultimate Fighting Championship I look at and I’m like, ‘I know I can beat this guy.’ I look at it and see they can’t stop the takedown or their jiu-jitsu’s bad. The long-term goal is to be the champ. Be the best -- that’s the long-term goal. Hopefully, I’ll be in the UFC in the next six months. I don’t see that as an unrealistic goal at all." -- Two-time NCAA national champion and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren in an interview with the Columbia (Ohio) Tribune. Askren, signed to American Top Team, makes his MMA debut on Feb. 7 in Ohio

“I’m not burned out [with fighting] … I’m 25 years old. I see Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, and they didn’t really hit their primes till their 30s. I’m only going to be young so long, and I know that movies and agencies and what not want the young look.” -- Roger Huerta discussing with Sherdog.com why he will step away from fighting after his next bout

“At first, I wanted to kick it, but then I thought it’s not a good idea, because it could get my leg.” -- Drew Heredia, 9, of Bakersfield, Calif., who made local headlines by using a rear-naked choke he learned in jiu-jitsu class to subdue a pit bull that was attacking a 12-year-old girl

The Week Ahead

A curious lack of television hype for UFC 93 will be eclipsed by the debut of UFC “Prime Time” -- a multi-part series breaking down the Georges St. Pierre v. B.J. Penn welterweight title bout at UFC 94 -- this Wednesday on Spike TV; the show will plot a course similar to HBO’s popular “24/7” boxing series. Plus, Sherdog.com will offer free video on demand of the M-1 “Final Challenge” event from Europe on Sunday.