Skip to main content

Julian Marquez: I was put on UFC 285 because 'they want to make sure people are entertained'

Julian Marquez thinks he was put on UFC 285 for a reason.

Saturday’s event is headlined by Jon Jones, who takes on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Marquez (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will open up the televised prelims against Marc-Andre Barriault (14-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC), and promises fans they’re in for an exciting battle.

“They need entertainment,” Marquez told MMA Junkie Radio. “We have such a spectacular card on (Saturday) with Jon Jones coming back and Ciryl Gane going there – it’s a huge card and they want to make sure people are entertained, so they put Julian Marquez on that card and they want people to watch it.

“That’s why they put me on the prelims and people are going to tune in. They’re going to know that Marc and I are going to bring it, they’re going to know it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be a bloodbath and it’s going to be ending with a highlight reel with Julian Marquez on top.”

Marquez’s entry to the UFC came through one of the most devastating finishes on Dana White’s Contender Series – a head kick knockout of Phil Hawes. In five octagon appearances, Marquez has earned three post-fight bonuses.

“Any time I’m in front of the fans, they always love ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ out there,” Marquez said. “I give everybody what they want to see. I’m always entertaining and I speak very well when it comes to mic time. People love to hate me, but they still talk about me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.



from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/Eh5cypD
via IFTTT

Popular posts from this blog

Max Griffin offended by booking against Michael Morales: 'They're sending a guy that they think can beat me'

LAS VEGAS – Max Griffin is not exactly happy with his matchup against Michael Morales . The 37-year-old welterweight veteran is set to take on Michael Morales on the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 47 at the UFC Apex. This booking made Griffin (19-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) feel like he’s been set up to be a stepping stone for Morales (14-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who’s unbeaten and just 24 years old – and that has Griffin fuming. “I have a thing for these new guys: I get offended,” Griffin told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 47 media day. “So it’s another guy, 14-0, fought Trevin Giles. That was a terrible fight from Trevin Giles. He beat him in the beginning but burned his arms out, getting sloppy, and got knocked out. … He (Morales) ain’t fought nobody. It’s not even about who y’all fought, but I am me. I am him. I’m not the guy you want to fight when you’re that raw, that new.” Although there’s something to be said about Morales’s promise and rise, Griffin is not getting caught in a ba...

Video: Oli Thompson lands devastating first-round knockout punch on Aleksei Oleinik in Russia

Aleksei Oleinik returned to action for the first time since his UFC exit, but things did not go in his favor. In the main event of REN TV Fight Club at Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, Oleinik (60-17-1 MMA) faced fellow UFC veteran Oli Thompson in a heavyweight bout. The result was a violent finish that left Oleinik staring up at the lights. Thompson (21-16 MMA) unleashed a crushing right hand that sent Oleinik crashing to the canvas with 35 seconds remaining in the opening round. Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter ): Oli Thompson destroys Alexey Oleynik with a massive right hand in the first round pic.twitter.com/AdWy25dQxR — caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 26, 2023 Thompson, 43, returned to the win column for the first time since 2020, snapping a four-fight losing skid. His last victory was also a first-round stoppage; a 23-second knockout of Szymon Bajor at Fight Exclusive Night 28 on June 13, 2020. Oleinik, 45, competed in his final UFC bout in Octo...

Sean Strickland: Israel Adesanya title fight '100 percent should be in the cards' with win over Abus Magomedov

Sean Strickland thinks a fight with Israel Adesanya is imminent if he can get past Abus Magomedov . Strickland (26-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) meets Magomedov (25-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) July 1 at a UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex. Strickland is one of the few top-ranked contenders to never face middleweight champion Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC), so he sees title implications with a win. “If this fight goes my way, it 100 percent should be in the cards,” Strickland told My MMA News . “I f*cking had a close decision with f*cking – what the f*ck was that guy’s name? Jared Cannonier, you knocked some brain cells out of me. Solid guy. Thought I won on the scorecards, but it is what it is. I truly believe I should be the one fighting Izzy, but I lost fair and square. I’ll pay my tenants. I’ll get some Ws, but yeah, that one needs to happen.” Strickland being matched up with Magomedov came as a surprise, considering Magomedov has only one octagon win. Strickland admits it’s not the fight he...