EXCLUSIVE | Roland Delorme talks UFC 165 bout with Alex Caceres and more

UFC bantamweight Roland Delorme (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will return to the cage this weekend at UFC 165 in Toronto, when he faces Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres (8-5 MMA- 3-3 UFC).

A cast member from season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Delorme has gone a perfect 3-0 inside the UFC’s prestigious octagon.

In his UFC debut at the “TUF 14 Finale”, Delorme was able to secure a rear-naked choke on opponent Josh Ferguson earning himself the third-round submission victory.

Roland followed that up by submitting fellow Canadian Nick Denis in the first-round of their fight at the “UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller” event in May of 2012.

Delorme was most recently seen in action at UFC 161 in his hometown of Winnipeg, where he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Edwin Figueroa.

Chris Taylor of bjpenn.com was able to catch up with Delorme to discuss his upcoming UFC 165 bout, his hometown victory at UFC 161 and much more…

Taylor: We last saw you in action at June’s UFC 161 event in your hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. You were able to defeat Edwin Figueroa by unanimous decision that night, in what was an exciting back-and-forth battle. Did the fight with Figueroa go according to plan and were you at all surprised with any aspects of his game?

Delorme: I was surprised that I couldn’t submit him that night. I had him in a lot of bad spots where I thought for sure it was over, but there was just no quit in him, that surprised me.

Taylor: How were you able to control your emotions that night? I personally was in attendance that evening and the roar from the crowd at the MTS Centre was absolutely deafening during your entrance.

Delorme: I took a second to give my brother a hug in the crowd, which marked the first time he got to see me fight live. Then, I put my game face on and went to work. Anything that’s worth it, is never easy and I knew it was gonna be tough.

Taylor: When you look back now, what were the positives and negatives (if any) about fighting in your hometown?

Delorme: I fight a lot safer in my hometown. I don’t know why. I just do, I always have. Whenever I go out-of-town, I don’t give a f–k about what happens and I’m all over the place. I don’t know if that is a positive or a negative really, but that’s just how it feels to me.

Taylor: In less than a week, you will fight Alex Caceres on the preliminary card of UFC 165 in Toronto. What do you know about your opponent and what will it take to defeat him on September 21?

Delorme: He usually gets submitted or wins a decision, so I think the key for me is to not go the distance with him. Alex has great footwork, he kicks a lot and he does really well moving forward, so I have to stop that.

Taylor: Are there any areas of Caceres’ MMA game that you see as being weak or where you feel you will have an advantage over him?

Delorme: Obviously he gets subbed, which doesn’t necessarily mean he’s got a bad ground game. He just gets caught in scrambles with his neck out, and that’s where I gotta catch him… scrambling!

Taylor: Caceres is set to fight for the first time in nearly 7 months, after serving a suspension due to a failed marijuana test at March’s “UFC on FUEL TV: Silva vs. Stann” event in Japan. Do you expect that his recent layoff could play a factor in your bout at UFC 165?

Delorme: Yeah, I think he’s gonna be in great shape and have a lot of new tricks that I haven’t seen him do, so I will have to keep my eyes open for those.

Taylor: What can fans expect from the Delorme vs. Caceres fight next Saturday?

Delorme: Expect a f–king war with both of us battling for foot position.

Taylor: You train out of WAMMA (Winnipeg Academy of Mixed Martial Arts) in Winnipeg. How has your camp been in preparation for this fight?

Delorme: My camp has been great! I have a lot of great guys helping me and I can’t wait to showcase my new skills.

Taylor: Well thanks again for your time Roland, any last words for your fans, sponsors or for your UFC 165 opponent?

Delorme: I want to thank K and S Electronics, Nott Autocorp, Vertuity Mortgage, Survival Marketing, all the boys at WAMMA, Full Combat Sports, Elite Boxing and all my fans for their support!