Most fighters coming off of the Contender Series debut in the UFC without much fanfare. They do so in a near empty Apex on a fight night card headlined by a middleweight fight. This won’t be the case for Contender Series graduate Danny Barlow.
Instead, Danny Barlow will see a full arena, packed to the brim, in Anaheim. The card will be headlined by perhaps the greatest featherweight in history against his biggest test to date. So why is Barlow getting the red carpet rolled out for him? The answer is simple to him.
“I got that swag for it,” he states with confidence. “And that’s the next step for me. I felt like not coming out to music was the worst thing that could happen, but it was a great difference and I feel like this will be a great difference.”
While he is excited for the opportunity, and is confident in the way he’ll react to it, he isn’t closed minded to the fact that it isn’t for everyone. He knows that some aren’t ready for bright lights. He also knows he’s different.
“It can break you or make you. I’m not coming in, talking about this game like it’s not real. It’s real and the people who do this at this high level face these realities all the time,” Barlow said. “I’m looking forward to the game exposing itself to me.”
While that may seem cocky to some, he says those feelings just come from a deep knowledge of what he’s capable of.
“I’m not coming in arrogant. I don’t overlook my opponent – I just know what I am,” he said. “I know my potential and know what I am. I’m just excited to see what it does to me. A lot of people don’t understand, when you’re in these situations, sometimes you lose control. And that’s what I call going with the flow.”
