Gilbert Yvel

TRAINER Ivan Hippolyte is backing Gilbert Yvel to win a major MMA title -
and insists the Dutch striker's hot-headed days are behind him.

Yvel's temper and lack of self control have earned him a reputation as a
dirty fighter over the years, with three disqualification defeats - one infamously for assaulting a referee - in a chequered career.

But Vos Gym chief Hippolyte insists the all-action Amsterdam heavyweight - one of the most exciting fighters in mixed martial arts when he is on song - has learned his lessons and now has the self-belief to reach the top, provided he gets the opportunity.

"At the moment Gilbert is going well and has much more confidence," said
Hippolyte, who trained Mirko Cro Cop for a fortnight ahead of his recent
UFC loss to Cheick Kongo.

"He is mentally and physically strong and what we need now is the
opportunity for a big corporation like K-1 Hero's or UFC.

"We are definitely ready to hang around the big guys now. He has a big name
but doesn't have a big opportunity.

"I think if he has a few build-up fights he can definitely win a title.

"Whether it's in the UFC or K-1 Hero's he is definitely one of the guys who
can win a title."

A former mainstay of the now-dissolved Pride, flying knee specialist Yvel (pictured) is a free agent on a four fight stoppage streak but has paid the price for
hitting and kicking a referee in Finland in 2004.

He was denied a licence to fight Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33 in Las Vegas
and has had no Stateside openings since.

Hippolyte, who steered Remy Bonjasky to the last four of the 2007 K-1 Grand
Prix Final, said the 31-year-old regrets the incident and it is time for the MMA world to move on and give him another shot at the big time.

"Gilbert said to me when we were in Croatia with Mirko: 'What was I
thinking?', he said in reference to Yvel's Scandinavian meltdown.

"The incident was not a good reaction from him and I'm not saying it was
okay, but the guy was a pain in the ass!

"The guy let us wait, especially when we arrived there for the weigh-in.

"He let us wait in the ring for an hour, there was no people to bring us to
the hotel and when we arrived at the hotel it was a little bit messy.

"But the most important thing was that we couldn't talk to him, he was
screaming around and then kept us waiting.

"He was the big man over there but the most shameless thing was he was the
referee.

"It was his own fighter and it was a situation you can never imagine in
MMA, trying to force someone into doing the same position hanging over the
ropes."

Hippolyte continued: "It was painful too that the Nevada State Athletic
Commission made their decision for the Kharitonov fight.

"But I think the US always want to have the top authority position in the
world, it wasn't fair to do that.

"On the other side it's their opinion and reason not to give him a licence.

"But don't keep the guy waiting until the day before we were due to leave.

"They said: 'Give us your story' but the Japanese delegation could see that
they had made their conclusion already, it didn't matter what he said.

"I think the UFC won't give him a contract yet because most of their events
are in Las Vegas and they can only put him on in England, that I think is
the problem.

"But I think the guy should be given a chance, Gilbert is something else -
especially for his sparring partners!

"Sometimes he goes real hard but he learned during his time with me to
bring balance and when to go hard and not so hard.

"But we are definitely going to see more of him. There is always action
when Gilbert is in the ring."