UFC Fight Night: 'A lot of people think that's scary' - Nick Maximov expects ‘best version’ of Punahele Soriano
Nick Maximov enters the fight on the back of an impressive win, his opponent Punahele Soriano, who too boasts of an impeccable record, is coming after a defeat against Brendan Allen in his previous outing.
After making an instant impact in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut against Cody Brundage, Nick Maximov is all set to further increase his stature inside the octagon. The middleweight fighter, who made his UFC debut barely four months ago, will take on Punahele Soriano in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 200 this weekend.
Maximov is confident about delivering once again and wants nothing less than the best version of himself against Soriano. In a telephonic interaction with the Hindustan Times ahead of the fight, the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter mentioned that he has made no changes in his routine and looks forward to meet the expectations of his supporters.
“Just been like the same with any other camp. A lot of wrestling, jujitsu, boxing, kickboxing, conditioning, strength training. It's all been the same. I'm just trying to be the best I can be,” said Maximov when asked about his preparations.
While the 24-year-old enters the fight on the back of an impressive win, his opponent Soriano, who too boasts of an impeccable record, is coming after a defeat against Brendan Allen in his previous outing, which was also his first loss in the octagon.
With this being the equation fans are eagerly waiting to see if Maximov can make it two-in-two, but the fighter affirms he's not worried about these factors. “I don't really think too much about it. I just try to go out there and enjoy, and have fun, and whatever happens happens. If I perform well and it doesn't go my way, I'm okay with that. I just want to be the best I can be and do the best, and prove everyone that supports me. Prove them right, so that's that's my whole goal,” the 24-year-old stated.
However, one thing that Maximov is certainly expecting is a tough competition by Soriano considering the fact he is aiming for a rebound.
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“Yeah, probably the best version of him possible. You know a lot of people think that's scary. But I think that's the cool thing about fighting. It's a lot like life, it's good challenge - just a crazy step up challenge, but it's a challenge I'm willing to take and I want to take and I'm excited for it,” said Maximov when asked if he expected a tougher version of his opponent considering the previous result.
Giving a brief idea on what his tactics will be for the match, Maximov said he'll not rush for a finish and instead take the entire process one at a time. “I try to just win every second, every minute, every round. That's the whole goal to one second, one step, one punch at a time and not try to rush an ending,” he stated.
Goals for 2022
Maximov plans to make as many appearances as possible this year and climb up the middleweight division.
“Fight as many times as I can. Make a name for myself and just do the best I can do and help everyone around me and be the best person I can be,” said the fighter while sharing his plans for the year.
Watch Nick Maximov against Punahele Soriano in UFC Fight Night - Hermansson vs Strickland LIVE on SONY TEN 2 (English) & SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) channels on 6th February 2022 from 5:30 AM IST
