Athletes
Jai Herbert Is Sharp, Ready And Enjoying Every Moment
“The Black Country Banger” Is Relaxed And Ready To Put On A Show In Abu Dhabi
English lightweight Jai Herbert may not have gotten an invitation to the big UK MMA party at UFC 304 last weekend, but he thinks he’s in the perfect place to put on the best performance of his UFC career.
“The Black Country Banger” is ready to make the walk to the Octagon for the eighth time when he faces Rolando Bedoya at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov this Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
After a string of fights in the UK, it’s a change of scenery for the Wolverhampton, England native, but it’s one he is thoroughly enjoying, as he told us during a fight week conversation at the fighter hotel.
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“Do you know what? I’m kind of happy that I was on this card, so it’s a bit of a blessing,” he explained.
“I did the last four shows in England, the last four London shows, so it was like the same thing over and over again. So I feel like getting out here to Abu Dhabi was a bit of a change of scenery, and gave me a bit of a boost that I’m doing something a bit different.
“It would have been nice to have been on that Manchester card with all of the other UK fighters that I know. But I feel like for me, personally, this was a great thing to do – to come and be in a different country, a different climate, different people, different environment. This is what I needed for my career.”
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Herbert is taking on Peru’s Bedoya, who is nine years his junior, but despite the age gap, the Brit only has one more fight on his professional record. Bedoya will be making his third UFC appearance as he looks to claim his first victory inside the Octagon, and Herbert said he’s expecting his opposite number to bring the fight straight to him on fight night.
“Rolando, he’s a tough kid from South America – you know they usually are from over there,” he said.
“He’s more of a striker, so it should be a good matchup, striker versus striker. I just believe I’m the better fighter, the better athlete, the better striker, just a better all-round fighter. I’m expecting Rolando to come and bring the fight, but I’m coming in there and getting the victory.
“Yeah, he's younger than me. But he’s still experienced. He’s had the same amount of professional fights. I’m not really too concerned about what he’s bringing, to be honest. It’s all about me in there. I’ll leave the concerns and the worries to him.”
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Herbert’s inner confidence has come from the knowledge that he’s been sharpening and elevating his game behind the scenes back home in England. The former Cage Warriors champion has been training alongside some of the UK’s top talent to help them prepare for fights, and in doing so, he’s seen his own game level up in the process.
“I think it's been over a year now since I've fought. And during that period of time, I've still been training hard,” he explained.
"I've done some really good work in this last year. Some really good sparring, some really good conditioning, and I've stayed on it. I've had teammates going through camps, and I've been doing all the work that they've been doing. I'm putting myself through it. And so, when it comes to fight night, it's nothing I've not seen before. Compared to what I've been doing, it’s going to be a walk in the park.”
Herbert is generally a pretty chilled-out operator during fight week. But this week he seems even more relaxed than usual. He’s happy in his surroundings, and is clearly enjoying the experience of traveling overseas for his latest assignment.
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He said that his relaxed approach comes with age and experience, and he’s learning to appreciate the journey, rather than rushing headlong towards the destination.
“Obviously, I'm getting a bit more mature, a bit more experienced,” he admitted.
"I’m getting older now, I'm a father, I've got family, I've got people to look after and stuff. And I think you just mature with it and just realize, ‘You know what? You just need to enjoy the moment.’ And that's what I'm doing at the moment.”
Don’t mistake Herbert’s more measured approach as a sign of him slowing down, however. “The Black Country Banger” feels like he’s at the top of his game, and with a family to provide for and a new UFC contract in his sights, he says he’s ready to produce a big performance to take him to the next stage in his fighting career.
When asked what he’s aiming for this weekend at Etihad Arena, Herbert had a clear response.
“A big statement (and) to get a big contract, that’s what I'm looking to make, he said.
“I'm really enjoying it at the moment. I’ve come out here, it’s a great hotel, a great place, I’m just trying to enjoy the moment at the minute.
“At the end of the day, fighting is a short career, and these moments are quite short in your life, so I’m going to just enjoy it, do what I’m best at and do what I was born to do.”
That means stepping into the cage fully prepared, fully focused, and full of belief that his skillset will produce a definitive result.
“Just putting on a clinic, you know?” he said, as he laid out his plan for fight night.
“(Be) sharp in there, good boxing, good kicks, good wrestling, good jiu-jitsu. Everything, man. Just going in and just shining. Just being sharp. When I’m sharp and on form, there’s no stopping me. No one is stopping me.”
Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov, live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3, 2024. Prelims start at 12pm ET/9am PT, while the main card kicks off live on ABC, ESPN & ESPN+ at 3pm ET/12pm PT.
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