At UFC London, March 19, Jack Shore returns to the cage looking to extend his undefeated streak. His record sits at 15–0 and only four fights into his UFC career heading into his bout with Timur Valiev. The bantamweight prospect came through the IMMAF ranks back in 2015, winning the European Open Championships.
Ahead of his bout, Shore spoke at the UFC London Media Day about how his opportunity to fight at UFC London is finally a reality after two previous bookings fell through.
“It felt like it would never come. This is the third UFC London that I’ve been scheduled to fight on. So the third time’s the charm as they say, but I can’t wait. Crowds are back, a hometown-ish crowd for me, I know the English will get behind me as well.”
He added that there will be “at least a thousand” Welsh fans in attendance in London to cheer him on.
Being undefeated at both amateur and pro comes with added pressure. Some may believe that fighters do not reach their full potential without experiencing a loss. Shore contested this giving the example of his fellow countryman Joe Calzaghe going 46-0 as a pro boxer.
“Joe Calzaghe and Floyd Mayweather. They did pretty well on undefeated records. I wouldn’t argue with Joe that he didn’t reach his full potential because he was undefeated. There’s lessons within every fight, win, lose or draw. You’ve got to be real in this sport, one punch or you zig when you should have zagged and you can pick up a loss. I’m a realist and I know you can pick up a loss easily in this game but at the same time, Calzaghe did it, Mayweather did it. I got a long way to go before I’m at their level, but why can’t I do it?”
Shore shares the card with Cory McKenna, another Welsh fighter. He hopes that continued success from the Welsh fighters will finally bring a UFC event to Wales.
“Yeah, look, the more success that every Welsh fighter has, the more chance we have of convincing Dana to find us a venue in Wales. If me and Cory get two big wins here. You got Mason on the Roster, you’ve got a handful of guys that are on their way through that could possibly be in the UFC over the next 12-18 months. The more of us, the better and obviously, the more success we have, the more chance.”
Speaking on the challenge that lies ahead, Shore believes that this will be a tough fight but wants the finish.
“As long as we’re both in there, I think that from the minute that this starts to the minute that this finishes it’s gonna be fast, explosive. You know he brings the fight, I’m gonna bring the fight to him. But ultimately I want to put him away. I’ve had two decisions in my last two fights and I don’t like to be known as a guy who wins by decision. I want to put him away and I’m sure he wants to put me away as well so it’s got the makings of a good one, that’s for sure.”
Jack Shore’s rise from an amateur to pro has been nothing short of exciting. A win tomorrow over Timur Valiev could be significant in the push for getting a UFC show to Wales.
