theMMAdigest Exclusive: Nick Thompson looking forward to battling Mark Weir
BodogFIGHT weltweright champion Nick Thompson is gearing to fight UFC vet Mark Weir in a non-title bout. Filming for season 6 of BodogFIGHT will take place August 24 to 25 on a closed set at the Squamish Nation Indian Reserve in nearby North Vancouver, where Thompson and Weir will battle it out. Thompson gives his thoughts on his upcoming fight.
What are your thoughts on Mark Weir as a fighter?
Mark Weir is a very dangerous fighter. He is tall, has accurate and powerful strikes and is aggressive. He has fought some of the best fighters in the world and he shows up ready to bang every time.
What’s the experience fighting for Bodog been like and what does it mean to you to be a champion?
Bodog is a place where I have really gotten to spread my wings. They helped put me in a situation where I have really been able to focus on my training and become the complete fighter I knew I could be. Becoming the Bodog champion was really the culmination of that growth. It meant that the years of sacrifice were worth it. It meant that I belonged among the elite fighters of the world.
What did you learn from your loss against Karo Parisyan and how have you improved since then?
I always learn more from my losses than I do from anything else. From Karo I learned that I can’t be tentative. If you come out tentative at this level, you are going to be picked apart. After that fight I went back to the gym and had a list of areas that I needed to improve upon. I worked hard to make myself a well rounded fighter. Now when I enter the ring. I feel that I am the best fighter in that ring and that the fight is mine to lose. I come out hard because I know I am the better fighter.
You’re on an 8 fight win streak, do you feel you’re fighting at your best right now?
I am the best I have ever been. But my next fight I will be at an even higher level. I am constantly working to improve myself at the gym. The day I think that I have had a perfect practice or perfect fight and can’t improve on something is the day I retire.
How do you envision the fight against Weir unfolding?
I am expecting Weir to come out hard as he usually does. I am going to protect myself and look for any openings he leaves me. When I see that opening I am going to hit him hard and make him pay for aggression. From there I think I can put Mark on the defensive and will look to finish the fight either standing or on the ground.
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