Ramsey Nijem returns to the cage after a lengthy layoff at PFL 2. There, the UFC/TUF veteran will look to make a statement in the opening round of the PFL’s lightweight tournament.
Seven years ago, Ramsey Nijem was the other man in the cage with Tony Ferguson at The Ultimate Fighter 13 finale. It’s crazy to think of it now, but the pair were fighting in the welterweight finale that night — though both would make their name at lightweight. Nijem came up short that night. Ferguson, of course, would go on to win the UFC’s interim 155lb title. Their careers took two very different paths following TUF 13; Ferguson to gold, Nijem to a .500 record, 5-5 in the promotion.
Eventually, Nijem was cut from the UFC, following a two-fight skid. 2015 marked his last professional bout. He signed with the World Series of Fighting shortly after, but never debuted. Instead, last year, he turned up on The Ultimate Fighter 25: Redemption. After winning his initial fight over Let Me Bang, Bro! Julian Lane, however, Nijem lost his semi-final match-up.
Losing one shot at redemption, however, opened up the door to another: the PFL’s million dollar tournament. After the Professional Fighters League emerged from the ashes of the WSOF, the tournament format and big prize to the winner drew a lot of interest. Nijem was one of the many interested — and he credits his UFC tenure for getting him here.
Nijem spoke to the media Tuesday following the PFL 2 open workouts in Chicago, and addressed that, and his excitement at finally having a proper fight.
“It’s been a couple years since I’ve had a fight like this, with build-up,” he told the assembled media, including Cageside Press. “The Ultimate Fighter’s still fighting, but you only get like a day, they say ‘oh you’re fighting this guy.’ I just love the excitement, I love the build-up — this is what I live for. All week long I’ve been amped, waking up early.”
“It’s just fun, man. I love this s***,” the clearly elated Nijem continued. “I wake up in the morning excited to do this, excited to compete, excited to show off what I’ve been working on.”
If you’re wondering exactly what the lightweight has been working on, “the last couple years, I’ve been training harder than I’ve ever trained. I’ve added in jiu-jitsu, I’ve added in my striking, I’ve done everything to get better,” he said. “I’m a complete martial artist, and I’m excited to show that off.”
As for his UFC run, Nijem stayed positive. “I’m super thankful for the UFC. If it wasn’t for the UFC, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to be in this tournament right now,” he explained. “No one would know who I was, I’d be some local fighter hoping to get in this tournament. But because of the UFC, I’ve had the chance to fight the best guys in the world, I’ve got to train with the best fighters in the world.”
Calling the tournament format “more of a sport” Nijem again expressed how excited he was to compete with a million dollars on the line. And as for his opponent, Brian Foster, he sees a perfect fit. “Foster is a great veteran to showcase my skills, and really show where I belong in this tournament, as the number one seed,” Nijem stated.
“I want to show that my martial art’s the most violent out there.”
What Nijem appears most excited about, however, is the structure of the PFL tournament itself. “The format of this tournament is awesome. It’s super simple, super clean, and merit based,” he explained. “I love the merit-based, I’m a right-brained kind of thinker, two plus two equals four in my head, period. Win fights, move on, win the championship, period. Nothing else in between. When you win that championship, you’re the champion that year. If you for one reason or another get hurt, then you’re not the champ that year.”
“LeBron James gets hurt, he doesn’t get to win the world title. It’s merit for this year,” he continued. “2018, I’m going to prove I’m the best fighter in the world.”
As for finishes getting more points during the PFL season than decisions, Nijem was not concerned. “My game plan’s the same. It didn’t matter what show I was fighting on, who I was fighting, I was going for first round finishes from day one.”
“I want to show that my martial art’s the most violent out there,” he added.
As for the long layoff — 2015 being his last fight outside of TUF 25 — Nijem actually sees it as a positive. “If anything, the long layoff has been a benefit for me,” he said. “I never had time to sit down and work on my game,” Nijem explained. However, “for the last couple years, I’ve been able to sit down, and I’ve actually worked on my game. I’ve been ‘okay, What do I need to do to move on as a martial artist? What do I need to get better?’ not ‘what do I need to do to win this fight?'”
Will that development pay off? Find out Thursday when Ramsey Nijem faces Brian Foster at PFL 2 in Chicago, IL. The card airs on NBC SN, following prelim action on Facebook.
