Athletes
Hakeem Dawodu’s Journey To The Top Starts Now
UFC Featherweight Hakeem Dawodu Knows He Has To Beat Julian Erosa At UFC 279: Diaz vs Chimaev To Start His Ascension In The Top 15.
Editor Note: This article was published prior to the UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson event change. Nate Diaz will now fight Tony Ferguson in the main event, Khamzat Chimaev will fight Kevin Holland in a catchweight (180) co-main event and Li Jingliang will fight Daniel Rodriguez in a catchweight (180) bout. | Order UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson
UFC Announces Updates To UFC 279
To be a world champion you need to be one of the most skilled fighters in the entire sport, but also possess the confidence to go in the Octagon and put that talent on display. Hakeem Dawodu has both. A versatile striker with world championship accolades in Muay Thai, the Canadian believes he already has everything it takes to make a run for the UFC featherweight title.
“I feel like I have such a high level of skill,” Dawodu said. “I honestly feel like I’m one of the best fighters in the UFC. I feel like I’m the best fighter, I’ve just been plagued by a couple of injuries. This fight camp has been all about staying healthy and preventing injuries. Of course, I’m always adding to my skill set, trying to be a better grappler, trying to be a better striker, even though I’m already a world champion. Just being one percent better every day.”
Dawodu’s fighting style is a perfect combination to cause trouble to nearly any opponent; impressive striking, exceptional defense and endless cardio. Obviously, as you move up the ranks and the level of competition rises, the talent you believe you have may still need some improvements to reach the top level.
Order UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson | Get Your Tickets Here
After his last performance against Mike Trizano, which saw Dawodu achieve his personal best in body strikes, leg strikes and significant strikes, “Mean Hakeem’s” confidence of competing for a title only went up, and he noticed the challenges he could present to the current featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski.
“I see myself in the Top 5,” Dawodu said. “I think I match up very well with the champ Volkanovski, I feel like I’d be too good of a striker for him, I’m too big, and I’ve got too much reach for him. He dealt with Max Holloway decently, but he’s got a 69-inch reach, I have a 74-inch reach, I’m a world champion, I can strike for five rounds no problem. Once I break that Top 10, people are finally going to see my skill set and what I’m worth.”
Currently sitting just outside of the featherweight rankings, Dawodu still needs to string together a few impressive victories if he wants to get that opportunity. His next step towards that ultimate goal is defeating Julian Erosa at UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson
Erosa has won four of his last five in the UFC with two submissions and a TKO in that stretch. A talented grappler, “Juicy J” may be Dawodu’s biggest test if the fight reaches the mat.
RELATED: Reasons To Watch UFC 279 | Fight By Fight Preview | Chimaev Isn't Here To Be A Normal Fighter | Forever Nate Diaz
“I’m prepared for an easy or a hard fight,” Dawodu said. “We’re back in the big Octagon. I kind of like the small Octagon, I’m not going to lie, I was really feeling that, but it’s no problem that we’re back in the big Octagon and [Erosa] said he’s happy for that so I am expecting him to be running.”
“I see him trying to strike with me for a little bit, maybe the first three minutes, and then I see him trying to grapple me, but that’s no problem. We’ve been preparing for that; we’ve been working for that, and I see myself finishing this fight in a lot of different ways.”
“I just need to perform my best,” Dawodu said. “I know if I perform to my absolute best, the fans will love me. Of course, we’re always looking for a finish, but everybody knows I got great cardio, I have no problem going three [five-minute] rounds. But I’m looking to showcase everything, look for the finish and really make a statement.”
Getting the finish is something Dawodu has lacked since he arrived in the UFC. Winning his first six professional bouts by KO, Dawodu has only finished one fight inside the distance since 2016.
But as many people have unfairly criticized middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, it’s not just one athlete’s fault if the fight doesn’t produce fireworks from the second it starts. It takes two to tango, and Dawodu has yet to see anyone willing to trade with him for all 15 minutes.
Whether Erosa chooses to engage or not, which history shows he likely will from his 23 finishes in 27 wins, Dawodu will enter T-Mobile arena with something to prove, and if all his claims come to fruition, fans will have no choice but to believe that his rise to the top is just beginning.
UFC 279 FREE FIGHTS: Tony Ferguson vs Katsunori Kikuno | Li Jingliang vs Muslim Salikhov | Khamzat Chimaev vs Gilbert Burns | Khamzat Chimaev vs Li Jingliang | Nate Diaz vs Cowboy Cerrone | Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor
“I’m a very high-level striker, so when I’m fighting a lot of these guys, they say they want to strike with me, but I’ve had a lot of fights where guys are on the back pedal,” Dawodu said. “Me being the least hit featherweight of all time, I don’t like to run into anything stupid. If you look at my stats, I very rarely get hit. So, at the same time, I’m chasing these guys down and I’ve been working on cutting off the ring and getting in there, but it’s a lot harder when you have someone that doesn’t want to engage with you.”
UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 10, 2022. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
Tags
