Just hours before his fight with Tory Bogguess at North American Fighting Championships (NAFC) – Mayhem, UFC lightweight Danny Downes took some time to sit down for an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report.
Like many former WEC fighters, Downes was excited for the opportunities that were created for him through the WEC’s recent merge with the UFC.
“When I heard about the merger, I thought it was great. It was great for fighters; a higher profile organization, better money and things like that.”
“The WEC had great fighters, but for some reason it didn’t have that name recognition. I run into random people that don’t know anything about MMA, even old ladies on the street, they’ve heard of the UFC, so you get that name recognition.”
“It’s definitely nice to be in there and I look forward to having a long and prosperous career in there after I take care of business tomorrow night.”
With the depth of talent in the lightweight division, the UFC has been slowly phasing in the former WEC lightweights. Wanting to continue to gain experience rather than sit idle waiting for a UFC bout to present itself, Downes accepted an NAFC fight against Bogguess.
“There’s nothing like that ring rust. I mean we’ve been training, we spar, we do all that stuff, but there’s just nothing that’s the same as actually getting to fight and doing it.”
“So, this opportunity presented itself and I wanted to take it. You sit out that really long time and then it kind of ends up biting you in the butt.”
During a time when we have seen fighters like Rashad Evans pay a price for sitting out while waiting for a fight, Downes and Roufusport teammate Anthony Pettis have chosen a much different and possibly riskier path by remaining active.
“There’s definitely similarities. Anthony [Pettis] could’ve waited and waited, but he wanted to take another fight to stay sharp, stay in there and I’m kind of doing the same thing.”
Pettis, who had previously been promised a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship, has taken a fight with Clay Guida since the announcement that UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar would be having a rematch with Gray Maynard.
As for the reason why Downes has not yet been scheduled to make his UFC debut, he remains unsure.
“You know, I’m not really sure. Usually the way it works out is you say you wait for a phone call and then you get it, and then that’s it. I just kinda go and train and wait until they tell me what to do and then I do it.”
Taking a fight outside of the UFC against a lesser-known opponent like Bogguess, Downes is aware of the risk he is taking with regards to his career with the UFC.
Downes says the UFC has not alerted him that his job would be in jeopardy in the event of a loss, but he still isn’t planning on walking away with anything but a win.
“No, [the UFC] haven’t said anything. I think it’s just kind of like common sense I suppose. If this goes poorly, whether I get cut or anything, it’s not good.”
“So, there’s definitely a risk to it, but it’s a calculated risk and I feel good about it. Tomorrow night, after I get the victory, all that worrying will be for nothing and I’ll just get onto the next one.”
Despite the danger involved in accepting this fight, Downes isn’t looking at the bout any differently than he has in his past appearances.
“There’s always second thoughts whenever you take any fight. Every time I fight, I’m like ‘Aw man, why am I doing this?’ There’s always the nerves before a fight. I mean, I’d love to say that I have a fight and I don’t care and I’m totally cool, but it’s definitely a nervous situation getting in there with a grown man who’s trying to punch your face in, in front of a crowd, for money.”
“Bad things happen and then you always say, ‘What if?’ But I think this is the right decision for me and I’m confident in my abilities and I’m sure it’s all going to work out the way I want.”
Fighting an opponent in Bogguess that he knows very little about, Downes’ game plan is to simply be the better fighter in all situations.
“I’m just going to go in there and kind of take what he gives me. I don’t know a whole lot about him, but it doesn’t really matter. I had to square off with him at weigh-ins today, so I know I’m taller than him.”
“He’s a shorter, stronger guy, kind of stockier, so we’ll see. If he thinks he can come in and try to out-muscle me, he’s got another thing coming.”
Despite the long delay in making in his debut with the UFC, even longer than that of a fighter he defeated in the WEC in Tiequan Zhang, Downes does not feel upset or disrespected by his current employer in any way.
“It’s just the way things work out. There’s no malevolence on [the UFC’s] part. It’s just how things work out. That’s the way the game is. The lightweight division is obviously kind of crowded right now, so I don’t think much of it. Just kind of gotta roll with the punches.”
After his fight with Bogguess, Downes doesn’t have any specific UFC opponents that would interest him, but there is an event in the city he trains in that he is interested in competing at.
“There’s no one in general. I just heard a rumor that they’re coming to Milwaukee in August, so I’d really love to get on that card and then use that as a jump-off for bigger and better things.”
Downes will headline NAFC – Mayhem, which will take place on Friday, May 6 at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Expo Center in Milwaukee, Wisc.
For more info on NAFC – Mayhem, check out the organization’s website here.
Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @BR_Sean_Smith.
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