“Israel is the literally Boss FATE,” he said with a laugh, referencing end-chain characters from Final Fantasy XXIV that take a great deal of time and energy to reach. “Like he’s said before, he’s not the typical guy. He’s not the muscle-bound, brawny, alpha male that you see walking around, but he’s a big dog in the yard, nonetheless.
“I take much delight at the idea of going up against that, testing myself against that, but that’s not the way I’m approaching that — as if I’m going up against it and just testing myself.
“I’m going in there to go and get him,” he added. “I’m approaching it as I’m the big dog and I’ve got the biggest bite. I may not have the biggest bark, but I’ve got the biggest bite, and when I start biting, things start moving.”
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For the soft-spoken, low-key challenger, the hype and pageantry surrounding this weekend’s championship main event is appreciated, but unessential to him. He knows it comes part and parcel with being in this position, but in his view of things, Saturday night is just another fight, against just another man, and beating him will feel no different than any other victory.
“For me, it’s going to be just like any other fight,” he said of his championship clash. “I’m not really putting all the extra pressure on this because there is enough pressure on fights as it is with a guy trying to do what he does and lessen my health.
“I feel the fact that a belt is on the line, more money, all the stuff going on around it — all the extra work, the interviews — all that is inconsequential to me. I’m not motivated to be in this position by any of that; I was only motivated by fighting my next opponent. It’s always good that the title is on the line and all that other good stuff that goes along with it, but I’m not focusing on that aspect of it; I’m focusing on my preparation, the type of fighter I want to be on Saturday night.”
