The Ultimate Fighting Championship will travel far east to Australia to host UFC 284 on Sunday, where the spotlight will be on the marquee championship fight between current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and his opponent Alexander Volkanovski, who holds the featherweight title.
However, Jamaican-American fighter Randy Brown has set his sights on his welterweight clash against Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena on his home turf at the RAC Arena in Perth.
UFC 284, Makhachev vs Volkanovski: Preview, full fight cards, live streaming info, key stats
The 32-year-old Randy is a veteran with 16 wins in a 20-fight MMA career. However, his opponent Jack, six years his junior, has garnered far more attention after his recent streak of success.
Maddalena has an 11-fight MMA winning streak and won all three of his UFC fights last year via first-round knockouts, earning him the UFC Rookie of the Year title.
Speaking exclusively to Sportstar, Randy Brown shared his thought before his clash with Maddalena.
Excerpts
You’ll be fighting Jack Della Maddalena on his home turf in Perth. Are you excited to fight where the crowd support would not be in your favour?
Yeah, I’m ecstatic. I’m excited to fight in general. The fact that the crowd is not in my favour is not something I think or care about, but I’m very excited to fight, to go out there and perform.
You have a background in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, while Della Maddalena has a Judo base. How difficult is it to prepare for a fight with someone who comes from a different suit?
It’s not very difficult at all. There’s only so much I think that you can do. Jack is pretty rudimentary when it comes to his attacks. He’s very good at what he does, but it’s not very difficult. He’s someone that I’ve seen multiple times before. I’ve seen his fight style in the gym and in combat situations earlier, so wasn’t too hard to prepare.
Can you tell us about your preparation for the fight? Are you trying anything different before taking on the UFC’s best newcomer?
Preparations were going really well. Umm... things that I did differently? Not much, not much different. I know this is the kind of fight where my endurance would have to be top-tier because he’s good when it comes to endurance and consistency. I had to be consistent with my training and my ability to maintain my game plan for a solid 15 minutes non-stop at a high pace.
You have been the dominant fighter in most of your bouts, but your opponent here possesses the same threats as you. What is your take on his style?
Oh, Jack, he’s really good. I’m looking forward to facing him because, stylistically and realistically, I believe he has the style to beat me, and I also have the style to beat him, so it’ll come down to who can implement their game plan the best and most consistently.
Going into the fight the odds are stacked against you, and people have given an edge to Maddalena. What are your thoughts? Does the underdog tag bother you?
It makes no difference to me. It actually motivates me a little. It makes sense for them because I’m in his hometown. But when will they learn, you know, it’s like a shiny new toy, everybody gets excited when they see the shiny new toy. I’m still around. I’ve been in the toy box for a moment, but I’m still here. I’m just as good as anyone. You know what I mean... (laughs). So there will be many broken hearts and pockets, but I’m done with it.
MMA has enormous potential in Asian countries, particularly in India. India’s Anshul Jubli recently won the Road to UFC final, earning him a contract. What are your thoughts on India’s future and its potential in MMA?
I think India has a lot of potential in Mixed Martial Arts. I’ve actually noticed an increase in that market. My friend runs an MMA organisation in India, and he’s been saying a lot of good things about it.
What will you tell your Indian supporters who are rooting for you?
Tell them to tune in. Watch me just go out there and display the skill to tame a lion. These young guys come up with a good skill set, and everyone notices it, and they get excited because they’re exciting fighters. Tell them to watch the masterclass.
*Watch the LIVE coverage of UFC 284 - Makhachev vs Volkanovski on Sony Sports Ten 2 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels on 12th February 2023 from 8:30 am IST.
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