London – Coming into an opponent’s home turf is never really an easy thing, but it helps that all of the attention and hype is around them leaving you to focus on just the fight. UFC lightweight Kazula Vargas takes everything in stride, and stays focused on what’s important as he prepares to face Paddy Pimblett at UFC London on Saturday night.
“I feel it’s an important fight and the circumstances have brought us here. It’s the life of a fighter. The fighter fights where he must. At the end of the day my main objective is to show the world the Mexican style of fighting,” Vargas said through a translator.
On Tuesday video surfaced of Pimblett getting into an altercation with UFC featherweight Ilia Topuria in the fighter hotel. The video led some to believe that Pimblett was looking past Vargas.
“I’m not really worried about whether he respects me or not. I will make him respect me in the octagon, but I think that him not focusing on me will play against him,” Vargas said.
A win over Pimblett in his own turf would be massive for Vargas with all of the hype surrounding “The Baddy”.
“With this victory I’ll be known in a different part of the world. They know me in America and now they’ll know me in Europe. I can begin to be mentioned with the bigger names (in the UFC). At the end of the day my goal is to move up the ladder and get to the top,” Vargas said.
Pimblett is known to be brash at times and that, along with his fighting ability, has gained him quite a following at home and around the world. Vargas acknowledges his popularity, but is wary of Pimblett’s attitude and behavior.
“He’s very famous in London. Most of his career has been in London and he’s created a fan base here. Good for him. I think some of things he says are more the behavior of a child than that of a professional fighter. That’s just what I think. He’s got good things about him like everyone else, but he’s also got things that makes you say ‘What the f*ck?’,” said Vargas.
Vargas will face Pimblett on the main card of UFC London.
*Additional translation by Cageside Press.
Watch the rest of Kazula Vargas’ media day scrum above. UFC London goes down Saturday March 19th at The O2 Arena in London, England.
