“He’s got a couple fake ones in there,” laughed Marshall, who looks to make it 2-0 in the UFC this Saturday against fellow featherweight prospect William Gomis at the APEX in Las Vegas. But in all seriousness, the bond between the two Jersey boys has been a strong one and one that has led Marshall to a perfect 7-0 pro record.
“He’s helped me a ton,” said the 24-year-old. “He’s been there. He’s experienced it on a bigger stage than me at this point right now. So he has a lot experience with the media, the bigger lights, the cameras and all that stuff, and just kind of helping me relax and stay calm during fight week and everything like that. So he’s definitely helped out a tremendous amount.”
Saturday’s Fight By Fight Preview
It was clear as Marshall worked his way through the regional scene that he was going to be a fighter to watch, and as soon as he earned his UFC contract with a win over Connor Matthews last August that process accelerated, especially after he knocked out the durable Rojo in the second round.
“I really didn’t expect it to be a knockout like that, especially since he’s had 25 fights professionally,” said Marshall, who became just the second man to stop Rojo via strikes after Charles Jourdain. “He’s fought some really tough guys. He’s taken a lot of shots from guys, and he was never knocked out really before that fight. I know he had a TKO loss to Charles Jourdain, but that was more of a body shot, so I kind of expected it to go the route of maybe a submission or a dominant three-round decision. But yeah, it was definitely a little unexpected for me.”
Those who have watched Marshall since his pro debut in 2019 probably weren’t surprised, but those getting their first look at the Jersey City product probably were a little shocked at the poise he showed in his first bout under the bright lights, something he owes to Pellegrino having been there and done that in the UFC over the course of 11 fights against the likes of Nate Diaz, Thiago Tavares, Josh Neer and Fabricio Camoes.
“He told me it’s just another fight,” said Marshall. “Just don’t worry about the crowd, don’t worry about the lights. You go in there, you fight how you train, you fight how you’ve been fighting and just stay composed and listen to the corner.”
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And when it’s over, you do it all again. And while some might think of training camp as the misery leading to the fight night payoff, Marshall is embracing it all as he prepares for his second UFC bout.
“I never like to look at camp as a miserable thing,” he said. “I kind of enjoy the process and enjoy that grind of the camp, but maybe it’s a little bit more settled this time around. But a couple things have definitely changed up a little bit. I picked up my wrestling a lot more this camp.”
If Marshall sounds like a ten-year veteran of the UFC and not a 24-year-old kid, that’s accurate, and rare. But when you’ve been chasing a dream for the last decade, that will be the result.
“I think over the years I found what really was meaningful to me and what I really wanted, and anything else that would get in the way I would just block it out. I wasn’t worried about going out, hanging out with my friends; I wasn’t worried about partying or hanging out with whoever and drinking. I was focused on training and focused on accomplishing my dreams. So, I think at a very young age, I understood that if I wanted to get where I am today, this is what I have to do. At the end of the day, you realize the bigger picture. And, at 24, I look back and see them all partying and where I’m at now and where they’re at now. I wouldn’t want any other route.”
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Maybe that’s why Kurt Pellegrino is smiling. He’s got a fighter who is all-in on bringing a world title back home to the Garden State, and one with the talent and drive to make it happen. Not that Marshall is buying into the hype.
“I just try to block out a lot of the noise,” he said. “I appreciate people saying I’m a future star and the next big thing. But if I see that, I try to block it out, and look at the picture of where I’m at now. I’m 7-0, and 1-0 in the UFC. I’m really at the bottom of the barrel right now. So I’ve got to fight my way up and climb to that top.”
