TUF 31 winner Brad Katona is already chomping on the bit to get again contained in the Octagon and reap the benefits of his second probability with the promotion.
On August 19, Katona made history by changing into the primary competitor to win The Final Fighter not as soon as, however twice. The SBG Eire product initially received season 27 of the long-running actuality sequence in 2018 however was launched after dropping back-to-back bouts towards Merab Dvalishvili and Hunter Azure. 4 years later, Katona earned himself one other shot by scoring a spot within the newest season of the sequence.
Katona took full benefit of the chance, touchdown three straight wins, together with an absolute barnburner towards Cody Gibson within the event ultimate at UFC 292.
Following his large win, Brad Katona sat down with Danny Podolsky in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview to debate his return to the UFC, and most significantly, what comes subsequent.
“The aim stays the identical. We’re chasing that UFC belt,” Katona stated. “I’ve labored with an excellent sports activities psychologist, Dr. Jason Brooks, and he needed loads about this combat to be us shrinking it down. We will speak in regards to the accolade. You win the Final Fighter twice. That’s so cool and also you’re again within the UFC, however that’s not our finish aim.
“We actually checked out the perfect bantamweight on this planet. We wish to be chasing that title and that helped us shrink down this chance to what it was. If we’re residing up right here with the world champions, Cody Gibson is down right here. And that’s nothing towards Cody, however that’s simply the place we’re residing. That’s how we’re working. That’s the extent of excellence that we have to sustain.
“So what am I doing subsequent? I’m doing precisely that. I’m residing up right here with the easiest of them and dealing backward from there. And what does that appear to be? Properly, there’s a giant pay-per-view in December. If that chance comes up, completely. Let’s hop on that. If there’s a Canadian card, superior. Let’s try this as effectively.”
Brad Katona Feedback on Sean O’Malley’s Surprising UFC 292 Knockout of Aljamain Sterling
The identical night time that Brad Katona secured his second contract with the promotion, Sean O’Malley shocked the world with a shocking second-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling within the UFC 292 primary occasion. Requested for his ideas on the crowning of a brand new bantamweight world champion, Katona stated:
“I believe it was very impressed with what [O’Malley] did. How are you going to not? The factor that made Aljamain Sterling the champion is his potential to indicate up persistently on the highest stage. Anyone can have an evening right here or there, however he reveals up persistently and wins fights towards the perfect bantamweight on this planet.
“Then when Sean O’Malley goes and knocks him out, that’s a feat,” Katona continued. “I believe Sean O’Malley is a particularly clever man. He surrounds himself with plenty of nice folks. He has an ideal workforce behind him and it’s not accidentally. You see the Sean O’Malley smoking weed with the hair. You see the clown act, nevertheless it’s an act. In the event you suppose that’s what he’s doing day in and time out, I wouldn’t be shocked if he was again to work on Monday. He looks as if that sort of man. Very clever.”
As for a way he would match up with O’Malley in a possible combat, Katona believes he brings lots of the identical threats to the Octagon that Aljamain Sterling does, however with considerably higher boxing.
“I believe I supply plenty of the same threats that Aljamain does,” Katona continued. “Perhaps not the scale. I’m not as tall and lengthy as him, however I bought placing. I bought palms and I believe I’ve bought all these issues. Aljamain didn’t fairly have the boxing, therefore he overextended and walked into that shot. It was a wonderful shot, nevertheless it was from, I consider, Aljamain Sterling’s lack of boxing. Perhaps some desperation to get to the bottom. That’s what you’re not going to seek out with me.
“I believe I match up effectively with O’Malley, however once more, my job is to do precisely what Aljamain does. Carry out on the highest stage persistently, and that’s what I’m centered on.”
