After months and months of knocking on the door of the UFC trying to find his next opponent. Alan Jouban received the call to fight Gunnar Nelson in the co-main event of UFC London.
Speaking at UFC London media day, Jouban admitted his delight to have received the call but after hearing that multiple fighters turned down the chance to fight Nelson. The American was disappointed and believes he has shown the UFC enough for them to have contacted him first.
“I was ecstatic I said absolutely right away, I was just told that Gunnar was turned down by four different people and I was the fifth opponent and if they know me and they know what I’ve been asking for they should have asked me right away. I should have been the first person in line, I called out four or five top 15 people,” said Jouban.
“I was in New York for 205, I was there to take Kevin Gastelum’s place to fight Donald Cerrone on one day notice I offered that, it wasn’t the UFC’s fault the commission wouldn’t allow it but they know by that phone call I’m a guy who would step in for a big name. I’m tired of fighting sideways guys I want to fight up. And if there’s a guy I can fight up against I’m available I don’t have a tremendous weight cut I walk round at 190ish I fight at 170 that always keeps me within reason to make weight within a couple days.”
The 32-year-old enters the bout in hot form, he was undefeated in 2016 and is currently riding a three-fight win streak securing victories over the likes of Brendan O’Reilly, Belal Muhammad and an impressive win over Mike Perry in his last outing. Jouban has expressed his desire to fight a ranked opponent and believes now after months of waiting he has been given the chance to prove himself.
“Gunnar was a fight that I wanted not him specifically, I was saying look I’m being reasonable I’m not asking to fight Tyron Woodley I just want a top 15 guy I deserve it. I went undefeated last year I put guys away, I have all these Fight of the Night bonuses give me somebody big, let me prove myself. Months went by and the UFC wasn’t giving me a fight so I took initiative I got on twitter started calling out guys nothing was happening and then finally I got the call they offered me Gunnar, No.9, co-main event so let’s do it.”
With nine of his fifteen wins coming by way of KO/TKO Jouban is recognised as one of the most exciting fighters in the division, although his last two victories have come by way of decision Jouban admits he lives for the moment where his bouts are appreciated by the spectators.
“I relish those moments I relish people saying that was a fucking insane fight and like that gets addicting when people talk about yeah you had a great performance but did you see that fight that was a dope fight and those kind of things I relish.”
The welterweight enters his bout against Gunnar as the heavy underdog but believes it is something he has learned to embrace admitting it helps motivate him heading into his fights.
“I would expect nothing less to be honest I’m an underdog in quite a bit of my fights, Gunnar is the ranked fighter he’s fought the bigger names and we’re fighting in his back yard so yeah it would have surprised me if I wouldn’t have been and to be honest.
“I kind of like that I’ve been somewhat of an underdog my whole life and things you know, so it does add that quiet fuel to the fire without trash talking and I usually do perform well with it so it doesn’t faze me at all. I’m completely focused on nothing but getting the job done on Saturday night against Gunnar Nelson.”
