UFC Ottawa is looming, and one of Canadian MMA’s most promising, surging fighters foresees a big win over a former Alex Pereira opponent, vaulting him toward that April UFC card in Canada.
The UFC is coming back to Canada once again and is back in the capital city this time out. On the grassroots scene in the great fight north, Bobby Poulter will clash with former ‘Poatan’ kickboxing opponent and kickboxing legend Simon Marcus in a clash for the Unified MMA welterweight title at Unified MMA 66 on Friday, February 20th, in Toronto.
After mentioning how it seems like the UFC has been trying to fill out more Canadian dates in their promotional schedule in the last few years, Poulter said [via MMA Canada],
“Yeah, definitely and I love that, man, because the more the UFC comes to Canada, the more opportunities we have. Because, you know, as a Canadian, we can’t necessarily fill in short notice to the fights that are happening in Vegas or in the States. So like if they’re here, that just opens the opportunity for me to be ready because after this fight, I know I’ve heard rumors that they’re coming in April.”
“If the UFC comes in April, I’ll just be cutting weight. I’ll be ready to go at ’70 or ’85 or 205 for that matter. I don’t care. Like any opportunity to fight for the UFC, I would not even think twice. I’d be signing that contract in a heartbeat. So this is the best opportunity for me at this point.”
Unified MMA 66, UFC Ottawa, and striving to become a “household name for MMA in Canada”
When quipping about how it seems like there are a few ingredients here, to where if he has a show-out performance against someone with the name value and pedigree of Marcus, that a big-time opportunity could be secured for UFC’s April 18th foray into Ottawa, with Poulter stating [via MMA Canada],
“Yeah, 100%, man. Like I said, like fighting a legend like this is a legacy fight. This will be like, you know, I’m the guy that fought him. I’m the guy that that took him out in MMA. You know, I’m the guy that killed the legend, right? That’s what I wanted to be known as. Like I want to be somebody that’s like a household name for MMA in Canada. Beating a guy like Simon will help me get there.”
“So regardless of what’s after this fight, this fight is as important to me, especially because there’s a belt on the line. Like I got stripped of that opportunity in that last fight. So I want that this time. This is everything to me. This fight means more to me than the next day, anything. Like no matter what happens, all I’m thinking about is that night. As far as I’m concerned, my life doesn’t exist after February 20th.”