Dean Garnett: “I will dominate the Kickboxing round before stopping Yao in the second MMA round with aggressive ground strikes or a submission.”
26 year old Cage Warriors veteran Dean Garnett has an unblemished 7-0 MMA record with 5 wins coming inside the distance by way of submission stoppage but now Dean faces his biggest test yet as he faces Chinese star Yao Honggang at KTMMA 3 under KTMMA rules. It’s a new format for Dean, as he makes his debut, but one he is looking forward to. “I think the format’s amazing for the fans, as fighters won't have to worry too much about pacing themselves, which should lead to some pretty exciting bouts. I've wanted to fight kickboxing for some time to gain more experience in the striking aspects of MMA and I'm particularly excited about the introduction of the MMA rule set which was used in Pride.”
Dean’s training camp has been good and visiting family in Australia has given him the opportunity to get some top-class sparring in. “The trainings been great, I've been visiting family and friends in Australia, so I’ve spent a lot of time training with guys out there. I’ve had the chance to spar with UFC veterans, Muaythai champions and other talented Aussie fighters. I'm back home and sharpening things up and finalising prep with my team before the trip to London next week.” He’s also looking forward to what is effectively his first big International bout but is not phased at facing Honggang despite his opponent being very experienced and nicknamed ‘The Master’. “I've had a good look at Yao, I think he's pretty decent and brings a lot of experience. However, I think my striking is better and my use of wrestling in MMA, despite his wrestling pedigree. I do have a few tricks I've been working on but I'm looking forward to enjoying the unusual format of the show and enjoying myself.”
Dean’s unbeaten record faces a stern test but the fighter himself does not feel the pressure an unbeaten run often brings with it. “I don't think being unbeaten makes a difference, it's all about the level of opponents you face, so I look forward to fighting Yao and will be confident in my abilities and preparation regardless.” Preparation for Dean regularly includes a specific game-plan but his approach for KTMMA has been slightly different this time around. “I do believe in game plans and usually try to implement a specific approach but I'm going to be a little less rigid for these bouts and enjoy the experience fighting under different rule-sets.”
Confidence is not something Dean is short of, and rightly so given his record but he is also known for his fight predictions and is equally happy making a prediction when it comes to his KTMMA debut-“I've predicted both my last two bouts correctly and I'm not looking to stop now. I believe I will dominate the Kickboxing round before stopping Yao in the second MMA round with aggressive ground strikes or a submission.”
Can Dean continue his winning streak, this time against top International opposition and will it be by predicted stoppage?
The answers can be found at KTMMA 3, Saturday 14th of March at the ILEC Conference Centre in Earls Court London.
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