LAS VEGAS – Tim Means knows Max Griffin will bring the fight, and that excites him.
Means (32-13-1 MMA, 14-10 UFC) faces Griffin (18-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 213 event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Both Means and Griffin have been in their fair share of wars and Means expects them to inevitably deliver.
“He’s a durable guy with a lot of heart and gets in your face and fights you,” Means told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s pre-fight news conference. “I’m excited to fight Max and make it a violent fight.
“Once the cage door shuts, you have to find a reason not to like the guy across from you. So respect, but let’s get violent.”
Saturday marks Means’ 25th fight in the octagon. He’s had plenty of ups and downs and lost four of six at one point. But Means is glad that he continues to be recognized for the show he puts on for the fans.
“I get a lot of respect from the guys on the roster and from fans in general,” Means said. “I might not be one of these crazy popular guys, but I don’t want to be George Clooney famous. When you see my name on the lineup, you’re going to stop on that fight and look at the guy across from me.
“We paid attention to these things and contract deals we’ve done. When you’re able to look at that slot on the TV deal on the spikes in views, those numbers jump way up. So I might not be super famous, but people know I can fight and know I show up.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
