Sugden: “Zougarry is in for an early night in Los Angeles”

  Zakaria Zougarry “is in for a quick fight and an early night” when he meets Bailey ‘Bad Boy’ Sugden (11-1, 2 KO’s) in Los Angeles, California this coming Saturday night.   That’s the opinion from #10-ranked Sugden, who is traveling to LA looking to take out the #8-ranked Zougarry (30-4-1, 15 KO’s) and “get further into the top ten mix.”   Sugden is 2-0 in GLORY and is coming off a win over Chenglong Zhang at GLORY 49 ROTTERDAM in December; Zougarry fought on that same card but was stopped by Petchpanomrung in the third round.   He’s looking to bounce back with a win, but Sugden says the only thing which will be bouncing is Zougarry’s body when it hits the canvas.    “I watched that fight with Petch and I thought the KO could come at any time to be honest. For a short guy he is very upright, he holds his chin right up in the air,” he says.   “I can’t quite understand how a guy that short holds his chin up like that. When he comes forward he is especially vulnerable. He marches forward with his chin up and his hands low. That’s how Petch caught him.”   Zougarry secured a ‘Fight of the Year’ nomination for his debut fight with Yetkin Ozkul at GLORY 41 in May. Sugden admits enjoying that fight but says he has been underwhelmed by what he has seen from Zougarry since.   “He looks pretty strong but he’s not big enough for the weight. He’s got strength in his mobility but I move a lot more than these other guys. He’s going to come unstuck when he meets me: I’m more more mobile than him, faster than him. Everything he is good at, I am better at.   “His first fight was incredible, really exciting, I watched it like ‘Wow, this kid is good’, but then against Massaro Glunder he bottled it. They both did. It was a big fight, it got built up, and they couldn’t handle the pressure I guess.    “It was really boring and neither of them fought like they normally fight. They were clinching and they don’t normally clinch. It was like they didn’t want to engage.”   ‘Boring fights’ are not the business that Sugden is in. He’s promising to end Zougarry’s night early and move himself up the rankings.   “I think he’s in for a quick fight and an early night. He’s gonna to need something special to beat me,” he says.   “I think I will move up to that #7 spot if I win. After that I would take any opponent in the top five. Win that one and I would be looking at either a title shot or a spot in a contender tournament. Whatever gets me to the title. I will fight anyone anywhere, but if the tournament is the route then thats the route.”   GLORY 52 LOS ANGELES takes place this Saturday, March 31 at the Pacific Ballroom in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California.   The fight takes place on the Superfight Series section of the card and will stream live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Saturday, March, 31.