UFC 286 is scheduled to be performed on Saturday, with the primary occasion being Welterweight title struggle between present champion Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The bout will provide Usman a chance to redeem himself after his title loss to Edwards through knockout in UFC 278.
On Friday, former MMA fighter Michael Bisping has delved into what Usman is perhaps feeling earlier than the high-voltage contest. Bisping cited his personal instance when throughout his taking part in profession he acquired knocked down by Dan Henderson at UFC 100. Seven years later in UFC 204 when Bisping locked horns with Henderson once more, the Earlier loss performed closely on his thoughts.
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“For me, after I fought Henderson the primary time, I acquired sparked out, I acquired knocked out actually badly — and you may mislead everybody, however you possibly can’t mislead your self,” Bisping at UFC 286’s visitor fighter Q&A.
“You may discuss to the media, you are able to do interviews, even your family and friends, say, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m assured, I’m good, I’m good.’ However then on the day, I began considering, ‘The final time I stepped in a cage with this man, I acquired knocked out unconscious and the entire world laughed at me.’ So the nerves began to creep in,” he recalled.
Bisping talked about what Usman may undergo in his thoughts earlier than the bout begins on Saturday. He additionally highlighted how a lot influence his earlier loss to Edwards, would have on his pysche and confidence earlier than he enters the cage.
“To be trustworthy, that’s what Kamaru goes to undergo [Saturday] evening. As a result of, he doesn’t realize it — and he’s a really, very particular athlete, so I’m not saying that he can’t come again from that, as a result of you possibly can — however nonetheless, he in all probability isn’t conscious, till the ultimate few hours of preparation, while you’re laying in mattress, you’re making an attempt to take a nap, making an attempt to avoid wasting your power for the struggle, and you discover you possibly can’t sleep. As a result of, maintain on a minute, the belief that you just’re going to struggle this man once more and also you may get put to sleep in entrance of the entire world, it’s a nerve-wracking factor,” mentioned Bisping.