London – Fighters are motivated by many things ranging from money to legacy when it comes their careers. Sometimes there is something extra in a fighter’s mind that pushes them harder than ever and for UFC featherweight Mike Grundy it’s a very personal one.
“I’ll be honest this fight is so much more than me keeping my job after two losses. This fight is to put on a performance for my dad. Sadly my dad has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and he’s going to be there cage side watching me. That is what it means to me,” Grundy said at UFC London media day on Wednesday.
“There is absolutely no chance that this guy is going to put me away on Saturday night. You could put me in with the heavyweights on the main event and they won’t put me away either because I’m going to put on a performance in front of my dad and that is what it means to me, that’s the main thing. I’m going to dedicate this fight and this win to my dad.”
Grundy (12-3) faces Makwan Amirkhani at UFC London on Saturday night at The 02 Arena. The two were supposed to match up at UFC London back in 2020 which ended up being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting things down in England.
“I’ve looked at Makwan even before I got into the UFC. He fought people I knew and I’ve always watched him. I always envisioned that I was going to fight this guy. Don’t know why maybe because he had good wrestling and I knew I had good wrestling. Obviously I got matched against him in 2020 a week before it got cancelled because of COVID,” Grundy said.
“I’m happy it’s come back around again it’s a fight I’ve always wanted and it’s obviously a fight we got now and I’m happy about that, yeah.”
Both Grundy and Amirkhani come into this fight with a lot at stake. Grundy riding a two-fight losing streak and Amirkhani coming in with three consecutive losses respectively. It makes for a high-stakes fight for the two featherweights.
“He’s coming in with quite a bit of pressure. Three losses probably I’d say he should have won a couple of those fights. He fought a guy that’s on a debut took it late and he lost to that guy, I can’t remember his name. And then Barboza is a great fighter no shame in losing to that guy,” Grundy said.
Grundy will enjoy a home town advantage at UFC London and he knows it.
“I thrive off that. Me walking out for my debut like I said a few years ago. I’ll have that same feeling again I’m getting the same feeling now in fight week. Everything is similar. I’ve got the excitement, I think it’s going to be the same on the night,” said Grundy.
“I think I’m going to thrive off that attention I’m going to thrive off that loudness and I’m going to put on the performance of a lifetime.”
Watch the rest of Mike Grundy’s media day scrum above. UFC London goes down Saturday March 19th at The O2 Arena in London, England.
