VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Adam Fugitt is not naive to how the public, and maybe even the UFC, sees him going into his upcoming fight.
Fighting prospect Mike Malott in his home country on the main card of the UFC 289 pay-per-view, Fugitt (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) knows the Canadian is being set up to shine, and he can’t wait to spoil those plans.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Fugitt told MMA Junkie at a UFC 289 news conference Wednesday. “I don’t know if it comes with any more pressure, just because it’s the same story. It’s the classic story for me. I was brought in to face the hometown guy, the favorite, kind of the gatekeeper, as you could say.
“So I don’t think it’s any different. It’s the same story line, and I’m here to mess that up and steal some hype, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Like you said, there’s not many people that are in this position. (It’s my) third fight in the UFC and I’m on the main card, so I couldn’t ask for a better spot.”
Fugitt joined the UFC last year in July and two fights in and he’s already fighting on a pay-per-view main card right behind the co-main event between Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira. For Fugitt, it’s one less thing on the bucket list.
“It’s huge, it’s a dream come true,” Fugitt said. “I want to be on main cards. I want to be potentially in main events. I don’t want to be stuck around the bottom. I couldn’t ask for a better situation, to be honest.”
As far as the matchup against Malott (9-1-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Fugitt knows he has a tough task in hand, but he’s more than confident he will deliver come Saturday.
“We’re both finishers,” Fugitt said. “I see a major opportunity for both guys in there, but I just got to stick to my style of fight, working at my pace and my space. We’ll see how this ends up, but I’m more than confident in myself. I’m confident against anybody in there.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.
