
āIām undefeated now and Iāll be undefeated after this fight - the only thing which will change is that I will be the new champion,ā says lightweight contender āSuperā Elvis Gashi (23-0, 11 KOās) as he prepares to challenge defending champion Marat Grigorian (62-11-1, 35 KOās) at GLORY 73 SHENZHEN this Saturday.
āI think Marat is good but I am better. Iāve never lost. I feel comfortable about this fight. Iāve waited all my life to become world champion and now I am ready, just one more step to go. Since the first time I saw him fight, I felt like I can beat him easy.ā
There are not many lightweights who would refer to Marat Grigorian as an āeasyā fight, but Gashi sees one particularly clear advantage for himself.
āHeās got a pretty good record but heās got plenty of losses and if you look at his losses, they are mostly to left-handed fighters like me. I think he doesnāt do great against southpaws, so thatās another advantage for me,ā he explains.
Gashi, who is originally from Kosovo but has for many years been resident in New York, USA, where he has his own gym, also thinks his attitude will pose problems for the defending champion.
āHe likes to come forward and put the pressure, so in training Iāve had guys copying that and Iāve been moving, countering,ā he says.
āBut I am also a guy who likes to use forward-pressure, so maybe Marat will find himself having to fight while moving backwards. We will see - itās going to be a surprise for everyone, including him!ā
With two finishes from five wins in GLORY, Gashi has been the distance in three of his fights in the organization. But those fights were set for three rounds, while this championship bout is set for five.
āFive rounds, three rounds - it doesnāt matter. Iāve trained so hard for this, I wish it was ten rounds!ā says Gashi.
āAlthough to be honest with you, I donāt see this one going the distance anywayā¦ā
GLORY 73 SHENZHEN takes place this Saturday, December 7 in Shenzhen, China and can be watched live anywhere in the world via UFC Fight Pass.
GLORY 73 SHENZEN
Shenzhen
Amsterdam
New York
Los Angeles
Prelims
5pm
10am
4am
1am
Superfight Series
6pm
11am
5am
2am
Main Card
8pm
1pm
7am
4am
For regional television broadcast times, check local listings.