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By Patrick Lujan
Coming off a historic MMA night for Guam on May 16 in UFC Manila, flyweight Jon ‘The Heat’ Delos Reyes now focuses on his next obstacle in Irish fighter Neil Seery in UFC Fight Night 76 on Oct. 24th.
GSPN caught up with ‘The Heat’ training in Las Vegas in this exclusive interview:
GSPN: How has life been since your awesome win in the PI?
JDR: Life has been great. I am able to train a lot more now. I have been honing my skills and improving everyday. I also got a new puppy. His name is August Yorkshire. Be sure to add him on Instagram.
GSPN: How did the win change the minds of the UFC?
JDR: I’m not sure about changing minds; but, the win just solidifies that I am of this caliber and that I belong competing with the elites of the world.
GSPN: How many fighters did it come down to for your next fight and how did it boil down to Neil Seery?
JDR: After Manila, the UFC asked my managers if I could be booked in July or August. I was still recovering from injuries at the time and could not commit. I told them I would be ready by October or November.
When the offer of fighting Neil Seery came about, I was excited and gladly jumped on the opportunity. Neil is a tough fighter that comes forward. People know I like to push the pace. This should be a very exciting fight. Hopefully we can both put on a Fight of the Night Performance.
GSPN: Your first three UFC fights have all been in Asia (Singapore, Japan, Philippines). How will this fight in Ireland change your preparation?
JDR: Because Ireland is closer in proximity to the US mainland, I will be holding camp in Las Vegas for this fight.
GSPN: Neil Seery will definitely have home court advantage. Added motivation for you?
JDR: I am very excited to fight in Ireland. I know since Conor McGregor came onto the scene, there has been an Irish resurgence in the UFC. I believe it’s called “The Irish Take Over”.
My job is to cross the pond, and let all their rowdy Irish fans know who I am and where I come from. And, that the fighters from Guam are just as tough and skillful as any other in the world.
GSPN: You only have about six weeks to prepare for this fight. What’s the camp plans from here on out?
JDR: I am actually going into camp already in shape. So, it will be just the usual six-week grind until the fight.
DID U KNOW?
Frank ‘The Crank’ Camacho was a competitive youth golfer in Saipan with dreams of making it to the PGA.
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(AP/Carlos Osorio)
