By Eric Tamiso, FightTicker.com contributor

Hey Guys! No Toe-to-Toe Radio show this week, but I've got a few interviews. The first is with Greg Nelson, who is a usual participant in our Quick Hits segment. Nelson is the Head Trainer for Sean Sherk and Owner of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

FightTicker.com: Usually we speak to you a part of our Camp Quick Hits segment, but this time we’re going to talk specifically about Sean Sherk’s title fight this weekend against BJ Penn. Thanks for coming on.

Nelson: No problems glad to be here again.

FightTicker.com: It’s a big fight for Sean with lots of animosity coming from both sides. Do you try to use that in training or do you try to keep it aside?

Nelson: Well you know, its kind of a way two way thing. One, you know of course you have some animosity towards BJ in the fact that he keeps calling Sean a cheater. And Sean is very adamant in saying that he did not cheat, so obviously that’s irritating Sean a little bit. And its obviously something you know that the UFC likes given the whole name of the show is Ill Will, so the more it draws to the show the better. So the more they bicker and the more they go back and forth it adds to the fight.

FightTicker.com: It should probably raise the buy rate for the PPV.

Nelson: Haha yeah, it probably will, definitely.

FightTicker.com: What is Sean’s mindset coming into the fight. As you mentioned BJ has been accusing him of being a cheater. He had the problems with the failed drug test, the problems with the CSAC, and receiving criticism from people. How is Sean facing all of this?

Nelson: Well he’s pretty much put it past him. He knows what he has done and has not done. He’s 100% innocent and just put it behind him. If you’re going to be a fighter you’ve got to have thick skin, people are going to be for you and against and that’s no matter the circumstance. So, he doesn’t really let it bother him that much, he just keeps it going ya know. His whole thing is to train and to keep working hard so he can reclaim that belt because that’s the goal, and its always been the goal.

FightTicker.com: Last week on Toe to Toe Radio we spoke about how much Sean has been working on his jiu jitsu skills. BJ has said he wants to put Sean on his back. But when Sean is on offense, what’s the game plan of attack?

Nelson: Well obviously the goal is to use as many of his tools as possible. He’s a very good striker, but BJ is also a very good striker. So you know, we’ll probably think about keeping it on the feet for awhile, use a lot of mobility and use a lot of work. The goal of course is for Sean to be on top, that’s where he likes to be. But again he’s been on the bottom in fights before so if that’s the case, reverse it and get on top. The whole goal is to keep a high paced pressure the entire fight because Sean can go full blast from the beginning to the end.

FightTicker.com: We’ve certainly seen Sean be able to go the full five rounds before. BJ’s cardio has been a little bit suspect, you mentioned you want to push the pace, do you think his cardio will be a factor in the later rounds?

Nelson: Well if you look at what’s happened historically and go with that because that’s all you really know. But you train for a guy who’s going to be able to go full blast for 5 rounds, and that’s basically how we’ve always done our training. Because you train for the best guy who’s going to be able to go the five 5-minute rounds. So we’re looking to push the pace, Sean has always pushed the pace. He doesn’t really know another way than fighting fast and hard. Its just something that’s been prevalent in BJ’s game in the past. So if it is, it is, if its not Sean’s ready to go full guns to the end, it’ll be a big test for BJ as well.

FightTicker.com: Sean’s a great wrestler, everyone knows that. In a lot of his fights he likes to use that ground and pound technique. But is there any concern that with BJ’s great jiu jitsu skills that it could be a dangerous spot for Sean?

Nelson: There always is concern, BJ is a great jiu jitsu guy there’s no doubt it about it. So you can’t make mistakes in your game. You can’t overextend on your punches but in the same time you have to go for it. But you can’t be reckless. As soon as you’re reckless then you’re susceptible to anyone who has a good game in jiu jitsu and obviously BJ doesn’t have a good game, he has a great game. He has to go for it, its not about holding your opponent. It’s about inflicting the most damage to the fighter.

FightTicker.com: That stylistic matchup reminds me of the main event of UFC 83 with St. Pierre and Serra. St. Pierre used his great wrestling skills and took the black belt Serra on his back and owned him. Is this how you guys think the fight could go?

Nelson: It would be nice to own anybody but I think that fight was entirely different. Georges St. Pierre was definitely above Serra heads and shoulders that whole fight. You know BJ, as we’ve seen in the past with Matt Hughes and GSP, he’s not someone in the early rounds you can take down and push around easy by any means. And so, you can’t rush in there and assume you can take him down when people like Matt Hughes have trouble. Its about being smart, maybe staying on the feet for a little bit, working our hands a little bit, pushing him up against the cage. You know maybe not go into the spider’s web at first when he’s strong and fresh.

FightTicker.com: Can you take us into your corner in between rounds, what happens with you and Sean?

Nelson: Basically, we want to reiterate the things in our game plan. We see things on the way he’s moving, obviously I’m going to tell him where I think he should be going. I’ve been cornering him since his very first fight and so I really understand mentally where he’s at. We have a really good rapport going back and forth with how he’s feeling and he’s really open with me in the corner. Obviously in the corner we see things he can’t, but at the same time we can’t see and feel what he does in there. He’s very receptive in that corner and that’s what I like, a guy who will listen and do what he’s got to do.

FightTicker.com: Do you like to keep it calm, or do you use the Teddy Atlas/Michael Moorer approach?

Nelson: We’re a little bit more calm, we don’t get all jacked up in the corner. He’s already a very intense individual so that’s something that we really don’t have to worry about and hopefully he can put it all out there on the mat once he gets out to the octagon.

FightTicker.com: Greg thanks a lot and good luck on Saturday.

Nelson: Alright thank you very much.