AFTER a long layoff, Guamanian mixed martial arts fighter Jon “The Super Saiyan” Tuck returns to the Octagon this weekend, competing at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s event in Melbourne, Australia.
To face hometown bet Damien “Beatdown” Brown in a three-round lightweight match at “UFC Fight Night 101,” Mr. Tuck (9-3-0) said he is very excited about his UFC return fight and looking forward to coming out triumphant after absorbing a split decision loss in his last fight.
“For this camp, I have been focusing a lot on my recovery. Coming off a long layoff because of injury, I know I have to learn to be more efficient. I’m training hard and making sure my body is in the best physical shape for fight night,” said Mr. Tuck, who lost by split decision to Josh Emmett in May this year, in a phone interview with international media, the transcript of which was shared to BusinessWorld.
“It’s going to be my first time fighting in Australia and I’m really excited. I have been in many fights before, taking on the hometown bet and being booed, but I don’t allow it to get on me. I’m just going to do my job and showcase my abilities,” he added as he shared the kind of mind-set he has in fighting in enemy
While in his last six fights he has gone 3-3, Mr. Tuck, whose grandfather is Filipino and has relatives in Cebu, said he is not much bothered by it, believing that in his losses he was in them each time.
“It isn’t really a concern. If you look at all of my losses, they were all very close decisions that could’ve gone either way. No excuses though...” he said.
To further hone his skills, Mr. Tuck has been training at King’s MMA at Huntington Beach, California, working with different coaches and the gym’s renowned founder Rafael Cordeiro.
“It’s been great [training at King’s MMA]. There are a lot of top 10 fighters there like Rafael Dos Anjos, Fabricio Werdum, Jake Ellenberger, Kelvin Gastelum and Beniel Dariush. Training under Master Rafael Cordeiro, who has trained so many legends and champions, has been very helpful, and also Rodel Mayol. They have helped me. Mayol is a former World Boxing Organization champion and he’s helped fine-tuning my striking, an area that I feel I have to work on,” he said.
Moving forward, Mr. Tuck hopes to continue his ascent in the world’s biggest MMA organization and inspire more Chamorro people to take up the sport.
“MMA has changed a lot in Guam since the days when I was growing up. A lot of people are more familiar now with the sport and I see a lot more of them getting into it and I hope it continues,” he said.
UFC Fight Night 101 at the Rod Laver Arena is headlined by the middleweight battle of #7 Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker against #8 Derek Brunson.
Also seeing action on fight night is Filipino flyweight Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa, who is making his promotional debut against Chinese Yao “The Conqueror” Zhikui.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the new home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive three-year deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.
