MMA is a fantastic grassroots sport where the everyman can train alongside amateurs and professionals, all the way up to world champions. The same can be said for UFC Perth‘s Louie Sutherland, who prepared with UFC heavyweight king Tom Aspinall, ahead of his fight with Tai Tuivasa this weekend.
Sutherland isn’t underestimating Tuivasa, despite the latter’s six-fight losing streak. A short-notice showing probably alleviates the pressure somewhat, but it requires a level head to keep it cool entering the cage on the world stage of MMA — on a week’s notice, no less.
Speaking with Fighters Weekly, Sutherland revealed a key piece of advice from Aspinall that he carries into every MMA fight.
‘Treat it like normal,’ Tom Aspinall’s advice to Louie Sutherland
Aspinall’s key advice is to stop treating the UFC differently from lower-tier promotions and regional shows, obfuscating the bright lights and loud fans.
“… After my defeat to Valter, or maybe… just before the fight with Valter, [Aspinall] was just like, ‘Look, you gotta take it… You know, you treat the fight like any other fight. It’s just the same fight as when you started in… the leisure centres. All it is is slightly more people. A different logo on the canvas, but, you know, you have the same feelings and the same sort of up and downs and stuff.’
“So that’s the kind of advice he’s given me. Just treat it the same as kind of everything else. Don’t think, because it’s the UFC, you have to, like, change what you do, or, you know, go all out, or things like this, so… he just said, just treat it like normal, and that’s served me well, to be fair. I think about that quite a lot, so it was quite good advice, I just… I roll with that, really.
“I try not to build it up as too much, because there’s people outside of the fight that are like, ‘Oh my god, you’re in the UFC, that’s amazing, it’s a dream come true,’ and I’m like… I knew once I started this journey that I’d get here…”
Who fights at UFC Perth?
Sutherland fights Tuivasa in the opening fight on the UFC Perth prelims. The Fight Night concludes with thirteen fights, subject to change:
- Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates
- Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld
- Tim Elliott vs. Steve Erceg
- Marwan Rahiki vs. Ollie Schmid
- Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Pericic
- Tai Tuivasa vs. Louie Sutherland
- Cam Rowston vs. Robert Bryczek
- Junior Tafa vs. Kevin Christian
- Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert
- Colby Thicknesse vs. Vince Morales
- Wes Schultz vs. Ben Johnson
- Jonathan Micallef vs. Themba Gorimbo
- Kody Steele vs. Dom Mar Fan
More Fighters Weekly News
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- Built, not hyped: Why Inoue vs. Nakatani matters
- David Benavidez vs. Zurdo Ramirez is an audition for boxing’s top dogs
- Inoue vs. Nakatani Guide: Time, Fight Card & Who to Watch
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