Salt Lake City, UT — Lightweight Jared Gordon is matched up against yet another grappler at UFC 278 this Saturday.
After suffering his first career submission loss against Grant Dawson in April, Gordon (18-5) gets BJJ black belt Leonardo Santos this weekend. That’s after defeating another fighter with a treacherous ground game, Joe Solecki, prior to Dawson.
Despite the string of grapplers and mixed bag of results, Gordon is positive about the current match-up.
“I think it’s a great fight for me. I was supposed to fight him when I fought [Charles] Oliveira. And he pulled out, and then they put me in against Charles. We know how that went,” Gordon told media outlets including Cageside Press during this week’s UFC 278 media day. “Great fight, great win for me. If it was King Kong or Leo, what’s the difference? A fight’s a fight.”
Should he get the win, Gordon hopes to secure a spot fighting in a venue that he believes is part of his destiny. With the UFC headed back to New York City in November, that would be the storied Madison Square Garden.
“MSG. I was born in Manhattan literally 30 blocks from Madison Square Garden. I used to train at Renzo Gracie’s which is four blocks away from Madison Square Garden, I used to shoot dope in the bathroom down the block from Madison Square Garden. My grandfather fought in Madison Square Garden,” Gordon, a recovered addicted, noted. “I think it’s my destiny to fight there, you know? I’m going to win this fight, and then I’ll say what I have to say in the cage after I win.”
And should he get that opportunity, no, he won’t gloss over the shooting dope angle.
“I need to let everyone know that you can shoot dope and still get the highest level of athletics.”
Watch the full UFC 278 media day scrum with Jared Gordon.
