It’s Fight Day Focus! The final word before UFC 296 tonight! John Gooden looks ahead to a stacked card with UFC lightweight and …
hello and welcome to fight day Focus we are the final word before the final fights of 2023 what a Blockbuster card we have in store and of course it’s headlined by the UK Zone Leon Rocky Edwards looking to make his second title defense against a returning kobby chaos Covington to talk this through I delighted to have two good friends in studio TV presenter will best everyone big brother and everything and of course UFC lightweight Herbert who’s done a few rounds with Leon over the years big Applause please yeah but before we hear from the gentleman and there’ll be some great analysis let’s hear from the two men in the main event Leon Edwards and kobby Covington they spoke with Megan o how really do you assess Leon as an opponent and the threats that he possesses I think he’s one-dimensional I think he’s you know all he can do is kickbox you know I’m a well-rounded fighter I can kickbox with him I can wrestle with him I can jitu with him I can do a lot of things that he can’t do and I know he can’t keep my pace for five rounds I’ve seen the quitter in him so tomorrow night I’m going to bring out the dog and me and I’m going to bring out the quitter and Leon well you want to get your hand raised tomorrow night what round does it get it done or do we see all 25 you know it’s not going 25 minutes I can promise you that he’s going to come in emotional he’s going to have his adrenaline High trying to knock me out and he might get caught and clip but you know I’m always ready for 25 minutes everybody knows that so I’m going to give the fans a treat you know I want to take him to deep Waters and then I want to make him quit I want him to look at at the ref and squeal and say I don’t want to fight no more how do you prepare for the pressure and the pace we know if he has one weapon it is to be able to continue to just search for the takedown search for the takedown how do you how do you prepare yourself for that in the gym during training camp I’m just having a solid training camp you know like I said you can’t you can’t just like be Scrappy and walk on you walking on shots all day you know if you f that with me be walking on shots all day and um even going for his takedowns he dock head first and everything he’s too it’s too Scrappy you know and um I feel like I’m way too clean of a of a of a striker as a mix martial artist my techniques my grappling my inside fighting um so I feel that would be the the difference between his last opponent M and my last opponent wasman you know so uh I think tomorrow night we get to sit show that great to hear from the champ and of course the Challenger coming to you first Jo Leon is your friend your teammate Uncle Rock I think you call him he’s been in your corner before you got him Uncle Rock like just give us a sense of how he’s feeling coming into this fight yeah man I mean in in Camp he’s been he’s been looking the best he’s ever looked to be honest you know yeah looks in great shape looks phenomenal you know I mean the other day I was I was doing some rounds myself and um I actually stopped my rounds to watch him um training with a couple other guys and you know he was looking the best I’ve ever seen him man looked looked incredible you know what I mean so I’m really excited to see him put on a great performance I’ve been lucky enough to come and see you guys work up in Birmingham and I’ve always been impressed by everyone but like what’s what’s been the difference since Leon became Champion or maybe it was that that first title defense against Usman in terms of how he’s training how he’s carrying himself the difference between the team I think is that we’ve had the belief that literally someone from our own area can go on to be like the best in the world and you know we can actually we can do it us as well you know hang with these guys um but I think in any difference to to Leon really I don’t think there’s there’s really been any difference to him he’s just been the same guy you know he comes in trains like us all we’re all the same you know what I mean he not like cuz he’s the champion everyone roll out the red carpet for him none of that like you know we all we all take the piece out each other we all work hard everything’s the same man I I think I I saw him talking about the feeling of being a champ though and I’m sure he was talking about how having that confidence it’s almost like the validation it’s like he knew he was the best for for years and then finally when he’s got the belt it’s almost like you’re going to be better because you are no longer trying to prove something you’re like now I’m operating at the level that I’m supposed to be operating at you know he still got got a good energy still still one of the lads you know what I mean basically one of the guys he’s not he’s not suddenly rocking up in the gym with like camera crew on me you guys are the ones in the it right there in in the Octagon in the ring but of course there’s a big team behind like how important is someone like Dave to Leon’s journey and obviously how important is he going to be uh tonight in the in the corner he’s a very straightforward guy you know what I mean he’s he doesn’t um sugar Co things he tells you how he is trust me um he’s he’s done it to me a few times tell me how is and it’s like it’s it’s helpful sometimes you need to be told helps you improve you know what I mean and he’s you know he’s just he’s always looking out for the lads he’s always there for us um especially for Leon you know he’s been there from day one and he’s going to be very important especially tonight as well how proud of you were were you in the way that he put together that fight strategically and then the execution as well yeah it was it was masterful man the way he put that together I was there I thought that night as well but I went I went um in the crowd and I watched and it was what performance it was you know his footwork his uh the especially landing on low kicks and the boxing the tight down defense was was incredible um and you know that was really good I was really impressed with how he so he definitely wasn’t a fluke and he’s going to do the same to Covington like Covington’s of a certain age certain vintage he’s got to do well in this fight and if if if if leyon does either of the things he did to Usman in either fight like dramatic late knockout that just steals all the headlines and will make Covington doubt himself forever or completely dismantles him over having many rounds like there isn’t you’re not coming back from it I I definitely believe Leon’s going to beat him and I think he’ll do inside the distance I feel like Colby just leaves too many he’s going to leave too many gaps for someone like Leon I mean when you like I’ve trained obviously with Leon as SP with him and you’ve got to be on your p’s and q’s with him you know what I mean you can’t be overreaching or or coming out of shape um cuz you were capitalizing like you know I mean he will hurt you does he have any specific strategies because one of the things I liked about about when you look back at the footage for from the head kick that was a planned move right like there was footage came out of them looking yeah yeah literally and like they’re they’re what looking at a iPad it’s like he’s going to do this if you do that like is that something that he’s got has he got something yeah the fight only in a few hours it’s going to be too late it’s going to be too late for Covington to can’t I can’t disclose that information to be honest but that’s a yes the that I would have Team Colby his pressure is Relentless and I’m not sure that that Leon’s face anyone who can bring that kind of pressure as a fighter yourself like how do how does Leon overcome that without giving away too many secrets well that’s what I feel like he’s Relentless isn’t he he’s just like he’s constantly in your face it’s not like he’s setting things up really he’s like one one gear he’s setting he’s setting up the takedown isn’t he that’s what he’s doing so the strikes aren’t like great te St he’s just looking to overwhelm you to get into get underneath you get to the double the single push You Against the Cage um and I think if you leave you know leaving leaving yourself open you’re you’re in trouble it’s going to be an early night one thing of not is of course the absence at time away from competition to Covington he is however a veteran who’s been in big fights but will that make any difference to how this plays out tonight like I say he’s very experienced in that in his situation so I feel like you know he’s going to he’s going to have that experience to go in there and like perform at this level but I just feel like I just feel like it’s Leon’s time now you know I mean I feel like he’s not he’s not going to be he’s not going to be a to deal with him I just don’t I think I think that Kobe will he’s going to have his moments in the fight you know he will have his moments do you know what I mean um but I just feel like come second third round Leon’s going to get the timing in that and and he’ll he’ll see the Gap bang he’s gone Kobe Covington is the biggest personality coming into tonight like he is that guy he’s been poking and jabbing and saying all kinds of crazy stuff about Leon the Brits Ian Gary like everyone like everyone is on blast when it comes to Colby and Donald Trump’s going to be there for example Leon’s entering enemy territory how well set do you think he will be to deal with all of the other stuff on the periphery Leon Leon’s he’s he’s solid man he’s like you know mentally solid I don’t think any of that’s going to him to be honest he like he had to defend his title in in the UK on his home soil against Usman against like you know people were saying it’s a fluke you know you were losing that whole fight it was only that head kick and then he had to come back and you know defend his title I think that was more that was more of a pressure cooker that was that fight then this so I feel like he’s this is a walking apart to him K better watch out man you know what I mean wow okay well another Brit who is fighting tonight is of course Paddy piml I think I know who Will’s going to be pulling for in this contest but let’s see what he had to say when he sat down with Megan tell me about what you have to do to defeat Tony Ferguson he used to hold the interm title he had a very long run at 155 lbs where he did not taste defeat what now are the threats not much um he’s just got his power know what I mean as you know when you age the last thing to go was power and that’s all I’ve got to watch out for that one big shot other than that he’s lost his athleticism as speed I’m going to I’m better striking better Jiu-Jitsu better wrestling and I’m going to dominate him comes tomorrow night if I don’t finish him in the first I’ll be very disappointed in myself what about your own skill set and this time away are you hoping to display to yourself that’s it I didn’t even get to show the advancements that had of me last Camp because I got injured in the first round of me last fight so there’s so many improvements that I’ve made that I’ll get to show the world come tomorrow night and I can’t wait to show you that smile tells it all Patty good luck to you have fun out there but I have no doubts that you will no doubts guys one of the most notable Accents in the H of mixed martial arts good to hear from Paddy it’s good to see Patty back obviously it’s been a year away but like give us an idea like fighter to fighter like how Patty is with you guys um pad you know what a lot I know Paddy gets a lot of sticking that to be honest but every time I’ve ever met Paddy or any interaction with him you know he’s always been been sound with me him and Molly they always been fine so you know what I mean I can only text someone face valued you know what I mean and and when I was in K as well you know he’s um I was actually the champion and he was he was um on in the same division as me and you know he was always like you know biging me up to be honest respectful yeah so yeah man that’s never been he always seems he comes across generally well really though doesn’t he it’s just the bravado thing and whether he can back it up in in the Octan and and but you know it’s always can he live up to the hype can he take his game to the next level and the fact that he still still hasn’t uh just means that he’s still got to be kind of a weirdly unknown quantity for somebody who’s so known yeah there aren’t many guys that were had the crowd going absolutely nuts he pulls a crowd doesn’t he uh Paddy it’s it’s rare to step in to your young UFC career with that amount of eyeballs like how do you think it would affect most Fighters a lot of Fighters you know they might you be you know I feel like they got a lot of pressure on him especially the like a young young fighter might you know but I suppose he’s he’s risen to the you know to it um he had a big fan base before like in cageo and stuff you know all the like Liverpool fans cuz I think the Liverpool people you know they do get behind get behind their own so I think he’s had he had all that that fan base before he came into the UFC riding off the back of that and you know he’s he’s just he’s just rolling with it so fair play to him and will mention that his his last fights now Jared Gordon fight was very tight I’ve gone back and watched it I mean it very very competitive what what would you give it I actually I actually scored it for Paddy when I sit down when you sit down with the the judging criteria you can definitely see how they scored it for Paddy what the Fallout of this and I think this is what’s perturbed Paddy a little bit and he’s a victim of his own success here is he injured himself s like really badly in that first round he’s had he calls it three surgeries in one on the back of that fight essentially fighting on one leg after the first round I know you guys go through it perhaps it sounds bigger to me than it would do to you Jes I’m sure you’ve gone in and like bust up your hands and still carried on but do you give respect to paty for persevering in that fight I mean you as you’re a fighter you know you’re going in there and if you get yourself hurt you just got to fight to fight till you can’t fight no more so you know what I mean as a fighter that’s what you got do man would it have been better for him though if he just pulled up F oh my goodness I remember rolling my ankle in football I was out for months yeah but do you think if he’ just if he’ if he’d with drawn then that would have been better for his reputation did he hurt himself in the fight did it was in the fight it was like it was the first round so if he’ withdraw in the when you know if he hadn’t got off his chair then he was walking around when he was moving around oh call him he broke his uncle he did he did he had the surgy he tore all three ligaments we’ve all torn all three ligaments come on it’s a bad no like obiously he couldn’t move in it so he was carrying on fighting which is you know fair play to him in in the Moment In the Heat of the Moment he just want to win the fight don’t you generally he just going to just he just going to hobble out there and just try and swing it out yeah yeah he has gone on a record and said this is a lose lose fight for him Jo and I’ll get your opinion on this as well will we all love Tony Ferguson he’s not having the finest moment in his career but we’ve also got to keep in mind not not all losing streaks are equal like he has fought the best of the best but um like this is a really unique situation for Patty does he does he gain much by being the Victor here against Tony Ferguson well yeah Tony Fergus Tony Ferguson is he know what I mean I don’t I’m not sure that paty feels the same way he he he’s still incredibly well respected and everybody knows that he’s incredibly dangerous he’s still the most dangerous person paty would have been in a ring in an octagon with yeah what do you make of some of Tony Ferguson’s training partners and regimes on the lead up to this one Jo you don’t know me son who’s going to carry the boats he’s going to carry the logs yeah fancy a little hell week before a fight uh not before a fight no chance you know he knows how to fight he Tony at the end of the day um he’s been doing this for ages and you know maybe he just needs to find himself maybe just needed extra motivation so he’s just gone and do the hell we with David Goggins you know I think it makes sense because no no no seriously because like you say he’s so experienced what is he going to learn that he didn’t already know but maybe they’re still the only bits that can reasonably be improved in in in a f in a camp he’s not going to suddenly learn a mad new style do you know what I mean like if he can be even fitter even more motivated then maybe maybe he’s even more dangerous it comes across how he comes across in the Telly or whatever but you know we don’t really know yeah what’s going on in his head he’s he’s shy he’s he’s with within himself he’s fully racked with self-doubt I mean you would be he’s just lost six fights in a row what do you reckon to this one under the bright lights in Las Vegas Tony Ferguson yeah I think I think I think Tony’s going to going to win man yeah I think going to pull it out the bag this this time yeah he’s going to ride off into the sunset I think he’s just got so much more experience so much more ringcraft I think I think with that extra gas tank and some Goggins ringing in his ears I think padd’s in I think padd’s in trouble is he in the corner Goggins you know he is in the corner really yeah yeah I’ve heard from what I understand Goggins is in the corner nah really going to be sick I’m definitely tuned in for that yo going to be stripped to the waist logs on his shoulders but we must move along to another piece of gold that is contested later on tonight it is for the flyweight title as well GS also a rematch interesting one with Pantoja and Roy Val because Roy Val is the guy he snatches all the submissions you know that’s what he’s known for but that’s how Pantoja beat him in the first one like psychologically it being a rematch and a guy beating you at your own game a little bit like how do you think that’s going to play into the next go around well you know they’ve been in there once of each other so I feel like you know still they’ve got a feel for each other um and also you know they know what the weak the strengths and the weaknesses are so pan told you we probably look to get the Titan again and go for the go for the the neck again you know I think he he won by re naked choke I’m sure he did so you know he’s probably looking like the easiest pass path the victory he’s going for that it was close though the the first fight really it was a lot of ground workor wasn’t it and it there were times when it felt like it kind of could have gone either way it was almost just Pantoja happened to got the Breakthrough first the the Shine from Pantoja because we were talking off camera and you were saying how you’re starting to understand him a little bit more and you really like him and I think yeah yeah he comes I think he comes across well and he’s one of those fighters who I always like it when a fighter is a fan as well like a real fan of the sport and of other Fighters and there’s some good Clips online of Pantoja talking about other fighters in his division other divisions rating them and he’s super conf about everyone and he really gets into other people’s Styles and the way people operate and I just think that’s quite nice and refreshing but I think what what the division needs I think it’s still it’s still missing some an individual to ignite it the Brazilians have always had such a stronghold over UFC belts UFC gold but we’ we’ve entered a time period where that’s you know we’ve had some retire the belts have passed around a little bit so Pantoja is like a really important Champion right now isn’t it just for the Brazilians just to hold another title yeah most definitely you know um how many brzilian have we got now oh no you asking me the question but yeah Gary well let’s uh let’s get some predictions before I let you gentlemen go the main event of course your boy your brother in arms Leon Edwards taking on kobby cson I mean I know I think I know how this is going to go but what say youj herberts I say Leon round three method switching knee how about switch KN oh wouldn’t that be something be lovely would it wouldn’t that be something got I think it might go the distance but I think it will be totally convincing I think Leon of all performance I think Leon will dismantle him over five rounds okay and staying with you then co-main event for the flyweight title who are you picking I think Roy valal could could turn this one right the belt’s going to the US I think so okay what you reckon Jo pania yeah yeah I reckon he’ll get get it done again yeah gentlemen thank you very much give it up for our great guests will B and the UFC Zone Herbert all right cannot wait for the fights in just a few short hours live from Las Vegas the fight Capital UFC 296 front to back box to boox end to endend Absolute money you can catch it on TNT Sport box office and of course in the US ESPN plus pay-per-view Merry Christmas thank you very much for your support this year can’t wait for 2024 but first UFC 296 thank you very much for watching welcome title on the line Ed I am the best offington I’m coming to get that belt now they run it back for the flyweight Championship two titles shot on the first