Las Vegas, NV – UFC middleweight AJ Dobson is excited about his fight with Tafon Nchukwi at UFC Vegas 78 on Saturday night at the UFC APEX and it’s pretty clear as to why.
“He’s a guy that likes to come forward. He’s a muay thai fighter. He’s mainly a striker. It’s going to be one of those bangers,” Dobson told reporters including Cageside Press on Thursday.
“We’re going 50k.”
Betting on a bonus is a bold one days before the fight, but there’s much more than just a bonus on the line for both men. Dobson and Nchukwi come into UFC Vegas 78 on two-fight losing streaks, and a need to stay off the roster spot bubble.
“One of the biggest things I was dealing with some gym issues. In this sport, specially at this level, your mindset is the biggest part. It’s like 80% of it. I kind of really wasn’t too much in there mentally,” he said.
“And you don’t really realize how big that stuff is until like the night before or the day of.”
Dobson isn’t blind to the fact that he’s likely fighting for his spot on the roster, along with his opponent, and expects the fight to reflect that.
“We’re both fighting for our jobs. We both have a lot on the line. We have to get this win,” Dobson said.
“It’ll definitely make for an exciting fight. I’m definitely going to try and take his head off in there.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with AJ Dobson above. He takes on Tafon Nchukwi at UFC Vegas 78 on Saturday night.
