Bassil Hafez thinks Mickey Gall has been given the “straightforward” path in his MMA profession, and admits that fuels him with motivation going into their UFC 302 matchup.
Hafez (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will tackle Gall (7-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a welterweight bout on the June 1 card at Prudential Middle in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN). It will likely be Hafez’s sophomore look with the promotion after he pushed title contender Jack Della Maddalena to a break up determination loss in his short-notice debut at UFC on ESPN 49 in July.
The contrasts between Hafez and Gall’s path to the octagon is stark. They made their skilled debuts lower than two months other than each other, nevertheless it solely took Gall one struggle to make the UFC as he put himself within the notorious CM Punk sweepstakes in 2016 when the skilled wrestling star transitioned to MMA.
Gall has been preventing within the UFC ever since, whereas Hafez competed 12 occasions earlier than getting the decision for a short-notice alternative.
“He’s personally somebody I actually wish to beat the sh*t out of,” Hafez advised MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m just a little bit – not envious – however his path was loads simpler. My path was loads tougher. He’s a tricky fighter. Everybody within the UFC is a tricky fighter. However there’s going to be guys which might be simpler than others to face. I simply confronted who I feel is the very best, if not among the best fighters in my division. That’s a feather in my cap that he couldn’t knock me out. It offers me confidence to go in there and actually be prepared for battle.
“Whether or not it’s on the bottom, whether or not it’s wrestling or placing – I’m excited to check myself towards Mickey and present that I’m the significantly better fighter than him, and I need to be there greater than him. That’s my purpose is to make it unanimous. Make it a dominant victory.”
Hafez, 32, proved he’s UFC caliber in his debut when he surpassed expectations by practically beating Della Maddalena, who’s No. 7 within the newest USA TODAY Sports activities/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings. With a full camp and added confidence beneath his belt, he promised his efficiency shall be “night time and day” from the primary time round.
He thinks the matchup with Gall is nicely suited to him, too, primarily as a result of it’s not the primary time they’ve met in a aggressive setting.
Hafez stated he defeated Gall in a grappling match greater than a decade in the past, and he intends to do it once more in MMA.
“I don’t actually have a look at him as a difficult fighter,” Hafez stated. “I have a look at him as a fighter with lots of holes in his recreation that I’m trying to expose. General, he has good grappling. I feel his wrestling is OK. His placing is OK. I really beat him in a Grappler’s Quest bout about 11 years in the past for the Absolute Championship belt. I received the image of me with belt and him standing there in second place sulking. So I really feel rather more assured in my grappling versus his. I really feel that I’m higher than him in all places.”
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