“I went and seen my girlfriend, went on a little two-week vacation,” he says of his post DWCS celebration. “But literally three or four days in, I got the email with the opponent and the date. I originally really didn’t want to fight until November or December because I wanted to come back here to Vegas and really get the full use out of the Performance Institute, really get a good program going with the coaches there. But the matchup was so good, it was so similar to the guy I had just fought on Contender Series, I jumped right back into training camp, got some training done in Winnipeg, and then came back to Vegas with three weeks to go.”
Despite the short turnaround, he recognizes that his recent experience in the quiet, fan-free facility gives him a small advantage his opponent doesn’t have.
“100%. I’m telling you right now, anyone who hasn’t fought in that kind of environment is going to feel something weird about it. It’s just not the same. I’ve never been to a venue where I haven’t heard a crowd scream. I’m sure not that many [fighters] have had the experience of a dead silent crowd, where you can hear the other corner as much as you can hear your own.”
But despite the edge and an overall projection of confidence, he’s careful not to count his chickens just yet.
“As far as Darrick Minner goes, he’s not someone that I can take lightly. He’s not someone I can sleep on, because that’s his game. He catches people right off the bat. He catches people that come out slow, so I can’t be that kind of fighter this fight. But then again, same with Swain, you know what I mean? They’re the kind of guys where it’s like if you come out and you play into their scrambly style, they’re going to throw up some good opportunities and have good chances to catch you. But, for me, I base a lot of stuff on slowing things down, really being technical with how I fight and how I work. So I’m not too worried.”
