Athletes
Jimmy Flick Building Toward The Flyweight Elite
Jimmy "The Brick" Flick Is Back In The Win Column, And Has His Sights Set On The Flyweight Rankings As He Heads Into UFC Fight Night: Perez vs Taira
After calling time on his career four years ago, Jimmy Flick has a second shot at UFC glory, and this time he plans to see it through, all the way to the top.
Flick is back on form after a rocky return to the sport following his retirement in 2020. Prior to that decision, Flick had won four in a row, all by submission. But after returning to the Octagon, he fell to back-to-back losses to Charles Johnson and Alessandro Costa.
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It meant the third bout following his return – against Malcolm Gordon at UFC 297 – was absolutely crucial to his hopes of continuing his career on the big stage. But, with the pressure well and truly on, Flick rediscovered his winning form as he submitted Gordon with a second-round arm-triangle choke to get back on track.
"It was very difficult," he told UFC.com. A lot of people saw that Malcolm Gordon retired after the fight, and I feel like if I lost that could have been me. I would have been on a three-fight losing streak and most likely wouldn't have got that new UFC contract, I would have been on a three fight losing streak and most likely wouldn't have got that new UFC contract.
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"Coming up at 34 years of age, I don't think I could have turned around and made it back to the UFC in time, with my age, so it was everything. And now I'm excited to do what I love to do and fight in the UFC and really show everybody how good I am."
The win gave Flick his first win since his return to the UFC, and meant that, with a new contract in hand, he could start to look ahead once again after surviving a win-or-go-home scenario last time out.
"It's not getting to the UFC that's the hard part, it's staying in the UFC, and everybody knows that. That's why that win was very important," he explained.
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"Not only did my opponent miss weight, I fought him in his home country. My back was against the wall – two losses after coming back. The win was everything I wanted, everything I needed. And the new contract on top of it is just more motivation to keep this win streak alive. (Now) I've got a tough opponent, Nate Maness, and I'm very excited."
The challenge of facing Maness, who has experience across multiple weight classes, is one Flick says he'll relish, even though he knows his opponent will have a size and weight advantage when they meet in the Octagon at the UFC APEX.
"Nate is very well rounded," he said.
"He' 4-2 in the UFC, (and) I think he has three or four bonuses in the UFC. He's only been finished one time, he's got a decision (loss) against Umar (Nurmagomedov) at 135. He's one of three fighters to fight at 145, 135, and 125 in the UFC.
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"If Jose Johnson makes weight Nate becomes the second biggest flyweight. If Jose doesn't make weight, Nate is still considered the biggest flyweight right now. So technically, I'm fighting the biggest flyweight unless Jose Jose Johnson makes weight tomorrow. So I'm excited about that. The bigger they are the harder they fall.
"I'm +350. He's a huge favorite. Hopefully that plays into him a little bit thinking this is a walk in the park. But I promise you I didn't get to the UFC to be a walk in the park for anybody. I do believe I will get this win. I'll submit Nate, and I'm going to chase UFC gold in 2025."
The fact that Flick is such a sizeable underdog only seems to fire him up even more, with "The Brick" adamant that he will prove the oddsmakers wrong on Saturday night.
"Oh, it motivates me more," he admitted.
"I mean, I feel like if you're a huge favorite It's harder to get the motivation, because you already feel everybody's picking you and everything.
"I've been an underdog my whole life. From the time I was a kid, when I was born, I wasn't supposed to be here. I lived in the hospital for the first year of my life. I've fought out of that, I've fought through the struggles with my parents, my life. So, make me the underdog. I love it. I enjoy it, and I just want to prove them wrong and make more people money!"
At the age of 33, Flick is in the veteran stage of his career, and the 125er is taking inspiration from a fighter who plied his trade towards the other end of the weight spectrum as he looks to reach the pinnacle of his career during his latter years as a pro.
My career is kind of right there with Glover (Teixeira)," he said.
"I fought the who's who's to get to the UFC. I've been fighting. I've got a win over Cody Durden, who's ranked 15th in the flyweight division. He's been making sounds since I left. And then now I came back and had a couple of fallbacks. So I want to be where he's at.
"I want to be in the rankings. And I believe I'm one of the best, and I can do that. And I've just gotta keep putting it together and proving everybody wrong."
Flick can move himself one step closer to the rankings with victory over Maness this weekend, and he heads into the bout with an array of finishing techniques in his arsenal. But, if the opportunity presented itself for him to hit his signature technique, it would make his victory even sweeter.
"The Von Flick, 100 percent, is my favorite choke," he said.
"I have four wins by the Von Flick. And the reason I call it that Von Flick is because I can actually hit it from bottom. And if you go back and watch the fight with Malcolm Gordon, I was hitting it from bottom. But Malcolm, the angle he took, he gave me a chance to roll him over. So when I roll you over, it's easier to finish.
"One day, I'll hit it from the bottom and I'm going to hit it from the top, as well. And then people will see why it's called the Von Flick. I will go for it in a heartbeat. The guillotine, the triangle, the armbar, it doesn't matter. I'm looking to get the win and I know if I tap 'em, I get paid quicker."
And, when asked how he sees himself getting the win against Maness, Flick got to the point as swiftly as he likes to hit his submissions.
"I take him down, and I choke him out."
Victory will open the door to a bigger fight, and the chance to gate crash the flyweight rankings. And, if he gets the victory on Saturday night, "The Brick" is ready to call his shot and make the matchmakers' job easy for them.
"I think a dominant win will get me whoever I call out Saturday night," he stated.
"That's what the UFC loves. And I make things easy on the UFC. I have since I got here. I say 'yes' to everybody they offer me if anything happens.
"I'm a fighter. And I believe I can beat any man in the world and I'm gonna prove it Saturday night."
UFC Fight Night: Perez vs Taira took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 15, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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