Jake’s ready for backyard brawl
JAKE HADLEY has got his hand raised in enemy territory plenty of times – and has laughed off Charles Johnson’s St Louis travel warning.
Birmingham flyweight Hadley faces the American in his Missouri home tonight at UFC on ESPN 56, with Johnson promising a hostile reception.
Despite the name, crime stats suggest St Louis has plenty of sinners as well, with ‘InnerG’ even posting: “I come from the ‘show me’ state, a city that’s been the murder capital, and shapes a different type of person… In MY CITY! In front of MY PEOPLE! We show the UK boy who the King of the monsters is.”
However, Hadley has seen and heard it all before, most notably when he travelled to South Africa to defend his Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) title against Nkazimulo Zulu in 2019.
‘White Kong’ said: “I have done this so many times before. This is not my first rodeo. Charles Johnson keeps talking about how St Louis is the ‘murder capital.’ Well, I went to Cape Town, South Africa – their proper murder capital – and beat their boy in his backyard.
“I have also fought Blaine O’Driscoll in Dublin, which was his backyard, and I have fought all these Americans in the UFC in their backyards. So for me this fight is no different.
“It is just another normal day at the office.
“I don’t mind the boos. I have been booed before. It gives you extra fuel for the fire in the fight.”
Johnson will be familiar to UK fans after he took Wigan’s Muhammad Mokaev the distance in a losing effort in London two years ago.
However, Hadley, who is 2-2 in the UFC, is out to use his opponent as a springboard to rise up the rankings.
He added: “He is elusive but I see myself beating him in any aspect of the game, whether that is striking or on the ground.
“He likes to fight a certain way but I feel that I could fight him how he likes to fight and still beat him. But if I put my game on to him, it is going to be a good night for me. You will see the best version of me so far come Saturday.
“I think this is a good style fight for me to showcase my skills against a good and known opponent. I am motivated and ready to go.”