Even at 39 years old, Anthony “The Hippo” Perosh is still competing at a high level inside the Octagon and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Perosh gets asked numerous times how much longer he’ll be doing what he loves, but he always gives the same answer to that question.

“Anytime someone asks me that, it’s if one of three things happen. One, if I lose more than I win. Two, if my body can’t keep up with the training camp. And number three, if I don’t want it anymore. At the moment, I’m mentally 100 percent, my body is great, and I’m winning,” explained Perosh in an exclusive interview with The MMA Corner.

Perosh has certainly been winning as of late, with three straight victories since moving back down to 205 pounds after his brutal loss to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Of those three wins, two have come by submission, with the other being a TKO over Nick Penner in his last outing.

But on Saturday at UFC 149, Perosh will go face to face with someone who also knows a lot about winning.

Anthony Perosh (Esther Lin/Heavy MMA)

“The Hippo” will take on Ryan Jimmo, who will make his UFC debut. But it’s not like Jimmo isn’t a talented fighter. “Big Deal” hasn’t lost since his professional debut in 2007 and has racked up 16 straight wins since then. Many fans know the Canadian from his time north of the border in Maximum Fighting Championship, where Jimmo was the reigning light heavyweight champion before signing with the UFC.

“He’s making his UFC debut and he’ll have the home crowd advantage. He’s coming off a good win streak, so he’ll be coming in with nothing to lose. I don’t know that much about him, [but] I know he is a karate striker,” said Perosh of his opponent. “But my goal is the same: to fight at my strengths, get him down and choke him out.”

Perosh has always been considered a well-rounded fighter, with solid strikes, but it’s his ground game that’s even more impressive. The Australian has won medals in jiu-jitsu competitions across the world while holding a third-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu. Perosh would be more than happy to take this fight to the mat, but doesn’t mind standing with his opponent either.

“I’m just gonna see where it goes,” stated the light heavyweight. “If the fight stays standing, I’ll stay standing. If I come in with a combination and go against the fence and can take him down, then great. In saying that, if I had a choice, then I’d love to take it to the ground.”

But if you’re a gambler and want to place a bet on this fight, Perosh can give you a bold prediction.

“Rear-naked choke, first round.”

“As long as I go in there and do what I’m able to do, I’ll get the win.”

Anthony would like to thank his coaches Steve Rudic, Dennis Roberts, and Carlos Machado, as well as his sponsors Venum and Balance Sport Nutrition

Photo: Anthony Perosh (Esther Lin/Heavy MMA)

About The Author

Corey Adams
Staff Writer

Corey Adams didn't grow up watching mixed martial arts, considering the UFC was just getting started the year he was born, but in his teenage years, witnessed the action and has fallen in love with the sport. Corey was the first to join The MMA Corner staff -- other than founder Josh Davis -- and has been writing for the site ever since. Corey attends Austin Peay State University, where he majors in Communications with a focus on journalism. When he's not covering MMA, Corey is still writing on many sports with both local and campus newspapers. His favorite sports teams are the Atlanta Braves and Denver Broncos. Follow him on Twitter at the link below.