Undefeated prospect Ethan Melisano had hoped to get five fights under his belt this year. With November freshly arrived, that isn’t likely to happen.
The good news is, Melisano gets back to work this Friday, dropping to flyweight to face Jimi Natividad at CFFC 127.
Being unable to get a fight over the summer, and the death of a friend, kept Melisano out for a bit, however. Speaking about his layoff, dating back to February, Meisano (2-0) told Cageside Press recently that “unfortunately during that time [off] I lost my best friend. Wanted to take some time off, get my mind right, and then get back to work.”
He remained busy at the gym, however — in addition to fighting, Melisano is also an instructor himself.
“In between fights I’m always at the gym. That’s what I do for a living, is I coach. So I’m at the gym all the time, and my coach does not let us skip sessions. It’s not like I can disappear from the gym for a month. I’m in every single training session all throughout the year. When I don’t have a fight coming up, I’m focusing on getting better.”
Melisano has had a full twelve weeks to prepare for CFFC 127. “It’s been a good long camp, so I’m excited to get back in there next weekend.”
“Honestly I’m ready to fight man,” he added regarding the layoff being a motivational factor. “It’s been too long. I don’t like taking even six month layoffs at this point. Me being 30-years-old, I want to push the pace, keep things moving. But life happens, you’ve got to roll with the punches, pivot, move. But I’m extremely excited to get back in there. I’m always hungry to fight. I know preparation breeds my confidence and I’m fully prepared for this fight. I’ve never trained like this for a fight.”
The drop to flyweight doesn’t appear to be a concern. “My two fights at bantamweight, I was barely cutting any water weight. I wouldn’t even watch my portions until I was like two weeks out,” noted Melisano. “I’m walking at 138 right now.”
As for the fight with Natividad, “I definitely feel I have the advantage anywhere the fight takes place.” That includes striking, wrestling, and grappling, Melisano underscored.
“The biggest thing for me is that I just stay on my Ps and Qs, don’t check out. Stay a 10 the entire fight. The dude likes to throw bombs, he’s got decent power. I’m expecting him to come in and try to push the pace, maybe try to make it ugly. Stay in my face, pressure me. But I’ve got answers for anything he’s going to bring.”
Watch our full interview with CFFC 127’s Ethan Melisano above.
