For anyone who has followed the career of Canadian bantamweight Mitch Gagnon (12-2), there has always been a sense that it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world would recognize his talents.
Gagnon’s debut in the Octagon was just a glimpse of things to come. Despite losing to Bryan Caraway at UFC 149, it was a Fight of the Year performance that had many yearning for more.
Since then, the Sudbury, Ont., native has gone undefeated in the Octagon, adding four victories to his resume, three of which were first-round finishes.
His last win took place on Oct. 4 in Halifax via another rear-naked choke finish (his fifth), and the 11th submission victory of his career. The win solidified his worth amongst the UFC matchmaking team.
After the bout, Gagnon joined UFC Central Radio (Click here) and said he asked the UFC for a top-10 opponent. A few days later, the rest of the media ranked him in the top 15. The UFC took notice and obliged the Canadian with a worthy adversary.
Little did anyone realize, the opponent was going to be former divisional kingpin Renan Barao.
In light of that news, Gagnon joined UFC Central Radio again (Click here) to discuss his mindset heading into the biggest fight of his career.
“It’s still a surreal moment for me,” Gagnon said upon receiving the text from his manager. “Ever since I got the offer, I’ve been preparing myself, preparing my game plan.”
His happiness could not be contained. It was as if he was at a loss for words: “I’m already game planning. I haven’t stopped. It’s pretty surreal. I’m pretty happy.”
The news hit the MMA world with a strange sort of thud, as fans and pundits had mixed feelings about the matchup.
From a Canadian perspective, happiness was mixed with trepidation as the support for Gagnon is undying, but with an obvious concern for his well-being. This is Renan Barao we’re talking about. That worry was underlined by the sentiment outside of The Great White North, which sees Gagnon as a lamb being sent to a Brazilian slaughter.
Gagnon harbours no illusions as to who the favourite is in this fight and fully understands why many in the public believes he is a substantial underdog.
“I think it’s normal. I just got ranked at No. 15 in the world. I’m not really known internationally. Renan Barao was the top dog for so many years. He was on a tear, 33-fight winning streak. I should be the underdog. I’m comfortable with that. If I wasn’t the underdog, if I wasn’t getting [expletive] talked, I think there would be a flaw in the system of how you gauge an underdog and a favourite.”
It’s a role and a challenge he not only understands well, but accepts with open arms.
“I like this position. It’s not stressing me at all. At the end of the day, you have to prove yourself and that’s what I plan on doing on Dec. 20.”
To hear the full interview with Mitch Gagnon as well as a breakdown with yours truly and FOX Sports’ Marc Raimondi, check out this week’s edition of UFC Central Radio (Click here).
Note: Lawyer Eric Magraken also joined the show to discuss many legal items from the world of MMA.
