Simon Marcus has lengthy owned the nickname “The One” for being that particular throughout his time on the planet of kickboxing. If he has it his method, the identical fame will comply with him into MMA.
Two-and-a-half years after his profitable MMA debut, Marcus (1-0) is lastly wholesome. His accidents have healed and the health club he owns is in a superb place. It’s time for a second go, as he fights Saturday at Unified MMA 57 in Toronto.
“I bought issues on monitor, and I’m stepping again within the cage,” Marcus lately advised MMA Junkie. “I’ve been eager to do a few the exhibits, however I didn’t actually have a superb matchup on the time. Then, once more, I had a pair totally different well being points with the physique on the time. So, I took my time to get again within the combine. Now, I really feel like I’m totally healed and the whole lot, so it’s all techniques go.”
A lot of the MMA promotion round Marcus, 37, has centered round that he’s a two-time Glory Kickboxing middleweight champion, who holds a 2016 unanimous choice win over Israel Adesanya.
Regardless of his age, Marcus is assured the UFC will give him a glance, significantly as a consequence of his fight sports activities credentials as an entire.
Three years shy of 40, Marcus mentioned his physique has held up nicely. Certain, there have been accidents, however his responses to them have confirmed environment friendly. UFC gentle heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who Marcus misplaced a unanimous choice to in 2018, debuted at 34, in any case.
“I need to get a pair extra fights beneath my belt, simply to get extra snug with the principles in addition to my talent set on the bottom and my wrestling nonetheless in growth,” Marcus mentioned. “I’m nonetheless studying, after all. I haven’t been doing it that lengthy, however I’ve been doing pretty nicely in opposition to guys who’ve been doing it fairly lengthy.
“My entire thought course of is that if I can get my wrestling and my jiu-jitsu sport as much as a degree someplace nearer to the place my muay Thai and kickboxing is, I’ll actually be capable to dominate irrespective of the place I’m going. Proper now, I’m nonetheless within the developmental levels. A pair extra fights, preserve engaged on my abilities, and the sky is the restrict. No matter appears to be the largest alternative for me is the place I’ll be.”
Marcus’ lone MMA struggle up to now was a technical choice victory over Anton Tokarchuk in December 2021. The struggle was 10 kilos above Marcus’ typical weight class throughout his kickboxing days, so there have been a whole lot of components he wanted to regulate to – all whereas studying on the job. He nonetheless largely dominated and confirmed a well-rounded assault. That included his grappling, which Marcus has taken nice pleasure in advancing.
“The main focus for this camp and months prior has been getting my jitz higher and getting my grappling higher,” Marcus mentioned. “I’m rolling with some actually high-level guys. … I can see I’m capable of compete with guys who’ve been doing it for years, like greater than 15 to twenty years, with out getting submitted or with out getting smashed. I do know I’m at a superb degree and that’s the place I’m at now. I’m trying to get to the purpose the place I’m trying to dominate like I’ve finished in all my different martial arts.”
Now, with almost three extra years of MMA coaching beneath his belt, Marcus goals to regularly make his technique to welterweight in order to not be outsized. He sees 2024 as a 12 months of growth and 2025 as a 12 months of constructing worldwide waves as soon as once more.
“This 12 months, I’d wish to struggle not less than another time (after this) earlier than the 12 months is completed, minimal,” Marcus mentioned. “After this one, I’ll take a while off simply to relaxation the physique and spend some extra time with the household. But when I may struggle one or possibly two extra instances earlier than the 12 months is out, that’d be nice. Subsequent 12 months, I’m going to make an actual run for it and kit up and actually attempt to tackle as a lot as I can subsequent 12 months.”
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