Question: Thomas, you have fought a majority of your career at higher weight classes but have now gone down lower to fight at lighter weights. How does that affect you?

Denny: You know, this is more my natural weight class than anything. I have a weird body shape. I'm 5-foot-9 but I walk around about 175, 177. That's out of shape. So usually when fighting at 170, I wouldn't even cut weight. I would just basically wake up, eat breakfast and go weigh in. I've always been a real small 170-pounder. But I'm a little too lean and I have a little too much muscle to make 155. That last five pounds would kill me. But 160 is a real good natural weight class for me. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I'm excited that EliteXC brought it in.

Question: In the past when you've had animosity against certain fighters. Does that help or hurt you and how will that affect you in this fight?

Denny: Know what -- I'll take being the underdog any day of the week than being the (favorite). When you're expected to win and you're expected to perform and you're in front of all your fans, you have so much more pressure. Everybody's expecting me to lose. Everybody thinks I don't even belong in there. Man, I'm excited because everybody felt I didn't belong in the ring with Tony Fryklund, that he was going to smoke me. I was an 8?1 underdog, whatever. I went out there and finished him in 1 minute and 12 seconds. I love fighting when I'm the guy who shouldn't even be in there.

Question: Jake, you're fighting Thompson, the last guy to hold the Bodog title. You're fighting for the EliteXC title. What does that mean to you? Do you feel like it's a unification fight or more of finally about time to fight for the title?

Shields: A little of both. It's great finally fighting for a title. Nick and I both hold different belts. He's the Bodog champ. I was the Shooto champ, the Rumble on the Rock champ. So it's nice to have guys who already have held titles fighting for EliteXC. EliteXC is obviously one of the biggest if not the biggest show in the world now. I think it's just an awesome opportunity.

Question: Nick, do you feel the same?

Thompson: Yeah, it means a lot to me that Jake held those belts because, you know, it's going to be a fight of two champions. I don't think anyone in the world can deny that the winner of this fight is a world?class champion.

Question: Jake, this is your first fight in nine months. Is that your longest layoff ever?