“You forget these things, but when I do sit back and think about this stuff, I am totally grateful, and it is a huge, huge boost and a huge advantage.”
PHOTO GALLERY: UFC 290 In Pictures
He believes that advantage, coupled with the skills, talents, and focus he naturally carries with him into each and every fight will allow him to rule the day when he steps in with McKinney this weekend.
“It’s a guaranteed banger, and that’s what excites me the most,” he said of the pairing with McKinney, who has gone 3-2 over his first five UFC starts to move to 13-5 for his career heading into this one. “I know he’s dangerous in many areas — you don’t get 13 wins and 13 finishes with luck.
“I’m perfectly aware that he’s dangerous, I just know that wherever he’s dangerous, I’m more dangerous. I know that my style can overwhelm his style.
“This fight is going to come down to who is making better decisions in the Octagon — who has the higher IQ, who has more heart, more will to win — and I’m looking to test that with this man on July 15.”
And long-term, the exciting UFC sophomore wants to put himself in the same position as his teammates: stationed in the rankings, residing in the Top 5, and if everything works out in his favor, standing atop the lightweight division.
“I don’t want to just be an exciting guy, which is why I criticize myself for the last fight,” began Sadykhov, laying out his overall vision for his career. “I’m not going to be just an exciting guy that comes forward and be exciting for the sake of excitement. I’m exciting as is, but I want to be a world-class fighter and I’m going to show that I’m a world-class fighter and in the title conversation very soon.
FREE FIGHT: Mayra Bueno Silva vs Lina Lansberg
“I want to separate myself,” he added, bringing the focus back to this weekend. “I want to walk away with a victory on July 15 and for the MMA world to be saying, ‘This guy is going to be in the mix for a title run and the championship in the near future.’ That’s what I want to establish on July 15.”
Black Wolf hits the Octagon this weekend.
Get your popcorn ready.
