UK knockout specialist Jimi Manuwa says he is back to full fitness ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night co-main event against Jan Blachowicz at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland.
Manuwa, 35, was forced to pull out of a November clash with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua because of a broken metatarsal.
The Croydon striker said: “Back then I put my feet up, rested up, but I was scratching at the walls to get out there again. I took a few weeks off with my injury hell but now I’m straight back into training.
“Pulling out of the Shogun fight really bothered me because I’ve never pulled out from a fight before. I really didn’t want to but one of my main weapons is kicking so I couldn’t go in with a foot injury.”
Indeed, the Lion’s Pride man will be looking to bounce back from his February 2014 defeat to Alexander Gustafsson – the first blemish on his record.
The Brit holds UFC scalps over the likes of Cyrille Diabate and Kyle Kingsbury, while Blachowicz knocked out Ilir Latifi in his promotional debut last October.
Discussing his opponent, Manuwa added: “He’s a good fighter, a newcomer to the UFC. He’s great on the ground, got good stand-up and he’s a good all-rounder. I’ve known about him for a few years because we’re both European.”
It promises to be an exciting fight – specifically in the stand-up exchanges – and you can see Manuwa’s full interview below.
Article by Alistair Hendrie/photo by Jorden Curran
