Jacksonville, FL — Count middleweight Karl Roberson among those thrilled to have fans back for UFC 261 this weekend.
“This is exciting. It’s the first fight back with fans and everything. The energy’s going to be wild, it’s going to be off the charts. I can’t wait, I’m looking forward to it,” Roberson told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s UFC 261 media day.
There are those who have enjoyed the empty arenas during the pandemic era, which has allowed a more intimate look at the fight game. As a fighter, Roberson is not among them. “We love the fans. Without the fans, it was kind of ‘eh.’ We still love to fight, but with the fans there, you hear the roar and everything, the feet start stomping. No other feeling like it.”
Roberson returns to action against Contender Series alum Brendan Allen this weekend. “It’s a good match-up for me,” the 30-year old from New Jersey stated. “He’s lanky, I’ve fought lanky before. He’s got good jiu-jitsu, I’ve fought people with good jiu-jitsu before. He’s tough, I like that he wants to stand and bang, and we’re going to see where it goes from there. I’m looking for knockout, going in there for the finish.”
Fellow middleweight Kevin Holland stated that Roberson’s current opponent Allen is a better fighter than both Marvin Vettori, who Roberson previously faced, and Derek Brunson. That’s not something Roberson agrees with.
“No, not at all. Kevin Holland just be talking most of the time,” replied Roberson. “He just be doing sh*t to piss people off, so we’ll leave it at that. I don’t pay attention to anybody’s thoughts on any other fighter other than myself, and my team.”
Watch the full UFC 261 media day scrum with Karl Roberson above. The event takes place this Saturday, April 24 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The main card airs live on PPV.
