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The fans might not have much expectation from Jeff Hughes leading up to UFC on ESPN+ 16, but his training partner, Stipe Miocic thinks otherwise.
Hughes will be going up against Todd Duffee in the Saturday event, who is returning to the Octagon after 4 long years. Duffee’s last fight was against Frank Mir at UFC Fight Night 71 way back in 2015, which he lost by KO within the first round. A number of injuries kept him out of the cage since then, which is why he is getting all the pre-fight limelight before his bout against Hughes.
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Jeff Hughes, on the other hand, lost his maiden and solo UFC outing in March against Maurice Greene at UFC Fight Night 146 by Split Decision. Although he is definitely not an underdog in the fight, the odds might be in favor of his opponent when it comes to firepower.
MMA Junkie reported on what Hughes had to say about his preparations for the fight and how Stipe Miocic backed him up with much-needed motivation.
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Hughes talks about his game plan
The “Lights Out” believes that the fans would be making a mistake if they count him out based on his previous performance.
“I feel like people are counting me out. Things didn’t go my way the first fight in the UFC, but that happens. That’s part of the fight game. You don’t always have the best night, so I think they’re already thinking I’m going to be a fast knockout, and it’s just not the case.”
When it comes to his strategy for the fight, Hughes is planning to simply go out there and follow his own game plan. He said that since Duffee has been out for a while and there are not many current video recordings of his fighting style available anymore, he would be approaching the contest without any expectations. But one thing he definitely expects is the fight to start fast.
“I’m sure he’s going to have cage rust. Everybody does if you don’t fight for so long. But, he comes out fast in every fight, so I don’t expect that to change. I’m just going to go out there and feel it out.”
The Heavyweight Champion has also suggested the same thing. Hughes said that Miocic, with whom he trains at Ohio’s Strong Style MMA.
“(Miocic) just said, ‘Go out there and fight your fight. You don’t realize how good you are.’ Those are awesome words from the baddest man on the planet.”
The fight between the two will take place on September 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.
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