Las Vegas, NV — Canadian featherweight Hakeem Dawodu has been seeking out a ranked opponent, but hasn’t been able to land one just yet.
Instead, “Mean” Hakeem faces Julian Erosa at UFC 279, though he believes that should finally land him the ranked opponent he’s been searching for.
“I kept asking for a top 15, top 10, and no one wanted to book me,” Dawodu (13-2-1) told media outlets during the UFC 279 media day this week. Dawodu’s manager suggested he take the fight with Erosa, telling the Canadian featherweight that “let’s just take this fight and keep you busy, and after this I promise you you’ll be ranked and we’ll get you a higher ranked opponent.”
That has Dawodu ready to make some callouts with a win this Saturday in Las Vegas.
“After this fight I’ve got some big names that I want to call out, and get myself back in the ranking system and start making my title run. I feel like my time is now.”
When it comes to the match-up with Erosa, Dawodu, a former Muay Thai champ, feels he has the edge in striking — and elsewhere. “I see myself finishing this fight in a number of different ways,” he stated. “But just because I’ve beaten guys that have beaten him, and he’s had his setbacks, I’m not taking this fight lightly.”
Watch the full UFC 279 media day appearance by Hakeem Dawodu above.
