By: John Moody

Last Wednesday I ventured out to Hempstead and Garden City, Long Island to produce a video feature on Pete “Drago” Sell - soon to be released on NBCSports.com.  It was great to be back with old friends in Matt Serra and Ray Longo. I watched Team Serra-Longo prepare “Drago” as he enters the home stretch for his monster fight Vs. Josh Burkman at UFC 90 in Chicago on the 25th.  I spent the day with Pete; at his BJJ training in the afternoon, through a visit to his apartment for lunch, and on to boxing with Ray Longo that night.  Along the way, I picked up some news and notes about Sell, Serra, Longo and his stable of fighters.

1. Pete Sell is in tremendous shape and looks flat out dominant with his BJJ.  His heavy hands are fine and  ready for action too, yet I was stunned at how fluid and strong his Jiu Jitsu looks.  On this day, he went 10-minute rounds as two of Serra’s best sparring partners cycled in on Pete.  It was a non-stop clock spanning 90 minutes.

2. Matt Serra loves Jiu Jitsu.  No secret.  But it is always fun to watch somebody who absolutely loves what they do.  His passion for the discipline is visible and oozes out as he coaches.  He was 100% focused on Pete’s technique and drilling him on the slightest hiccups in his Jiu Jitsu mechanics.

3. Sell eats tuna and rice with salsa, liquid low-calorie butter and spices for lunch. Microwaved.  Disgusting.  But it has him lean and mean.  He is under 185 now, but still has work ahead to make the cut to 170.

4. “Drago” lives in the basement apartment of a nice house in suburban Long Island.  I would love to see him put on a show against Burkman and land a nice check from Mr. White.  Correction: “Drago” always puts on a show (ex. 1 - Scott Smith and Nate Quarry wars).  Honestly, I guess I would love Sell to get the big W.  It only seems fair if there is a cosmic MMA god out there.  But givin the shape this kid is in - don’t think he needs the help on this one.

5. Chatter at Serra’s gym was that the MMA world is totally overlooking Patrick Cote’s chances vs. Anderson Silva.  This crew is very famaliar with this type of vibe as it sensed the same thing before Serra shocked the world vs. GSP.  They sense a Cote upset - just my take on the chatter.

6. Ray Longo’s new gym in Garden City is booming and reminded me of the atmosphere at Xtreme Couture’s in Las Vegas.  It has a big mat area to roll with boxing ring and MMA cage space and a full complement of strength tools. Most importantly, he has a great mix of UFC/Ring Of Combat fighters and new talent looking to break out.  If he plays his cards right, he can build a big time MMA training outlet with a camp full of up and comers.

7. At Longo’s on this night -  Pete Sell (UFC), Costas Phillipou (Ring Of Combat), George Sotiropoulos (UFC), Luke Cummo (UFC), Chris Weidman, (Hofstra graduate and wrestling star) and a house full of eager trainees.

8. Serra told me after Pete Sell fights on the 25th, Team Serra-Longo will turn all energies to his fight against Matt Hughes, which is likely to go off in early 2009.

9. Remeber the name: Chris Weidman.  A young gun 197lb wrestler out of Hofstra who is training with Team Serra-Longo and prepping for his debut at the Ring Of Combat in early 2009.

10. After a brutal two hours of BJJ on the mat with Serra and friends, then a night boxing session with Longo - Sell still had a thigh-busting “hill run” at a local high school in the dark of night around 9:30pm.  He is in the best shape of his life.

11. Team Serra-Longo fighter Costas Phillipou will be fighting at ROC 22 in November. However, ROC matchmakers have told him two potential opponents have turned down the fight.  Ricardo Romero and Brendan Barrett (his last opponent whom he defeated due to a cut) both turned down a fight Vs. the heavy handed Phillipou.  Thus, his opponent is still TBD.

12.  Serra can’t wait for Matt Hughes.  Trust me - his fire to knock out Matt Hughes is burning as bright as ever.

Check www.nbcsports.com around the end of October for an amazing behind the scences look at Pete Sell’s training and lifestyle ahead of his big fight.