“If you let (Simon) get his game going, he’s relentless,” Shore said. “His takedowns are relentless, he can strike well but, ultimately everything is to set up his relentless takedowns and his ground pressure. I think that’s why he causes people a lot of problems because they don’t know how to handle that pace. They don’t know how to fight on the back foot. They don’t know how to push him backwards, and they can’t match him for pace, so obviously, that’s something I’m looking to do. I don’t want him pushing me back. If I’m going back, I want to be still dictating the fight if I am going back.”
As well as hoping to lead the dance, Shore is eager to show people his defensive wrestling skills, which he feels will surprise some people. He lauds training partner and former UFC bantamweight Brett Johns as the man who has prepared him most in that sense. On the feet, Shore feels like he is the “slicker” striker but did acknowledge Simon’s power and explosiveness.
See Everything That’s Happening In The Bantamweight Division
It feels like a discredit to call Shore a meat-and-potatoes kind of fighter, but Wales’ best contender to date is simply a fundamental monster at 135 pounds. His hands were on display last time out, and when he steps into the Octagon in UBS Arena, he hopes to exhibit his top-10 quality over someone like Simon, who has shown he is competitive with the best the division has to offer.
“(Simon) proved that he belongs here,” Shore said. “A win over him also proves that I belong in the mix with the top guys. He’s the toughest fight I’ve had on paper to date, and I just look forward to going out there and testing my skills against him. If I can beat him, then I believe I can beat anyone in the division.”
