Adrian Haribeaj believes a win over Demarques Jackson at LFA 89 will get him to the UFC

While he had admittedly faced difficulty as many people did during the initial lockdown of the novel coronavirus pandemic, welterweight Adrian Haribeaj was able push through and not let it get the best of him.

What kept Haribeaj going was the idea that he would be able to return to fighting in 2020 and opportunities those bouts would give him to further establish himself on the MMA scene.

“Not just for me but like everyone else it’s been stressful, hard, worrying about family members, and having to take care (to not catch or spread the virus), and having the gym closed and a lot of stuff,” Haribeaj told MMAWeekly.com.

“As always, with positivity of mindset, we got through good; just staying in shape, finding new ways to stay in shape; and now that everything’s open and we have a chance to fight it’s exciting. I can’t wait to get back into the cage.”

With gyms being closed, it forced Haribeaj, like others, to find alternative means of training. Luckily, he was able to get together with a select few people and maintain a solid activity level during lockdown.

“I was training with my brother, my personal coaches, by his house, in the woods, doing a lot of training and conditioning there,” said Haribeaj. “We have been busy training. It’s been good. I don’t feel like something’s missing. Actually I’m feeling better than before conditioning-wise.”

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On Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Haribeaj (10-1) will look to pick up his first win of 2020 when he takes on Demarques Jackson (10-4) in a main card 170-pound bout at LFA 89.

“(Jackson) is an LFA veteran, he has 10 wins, so this is a fight that will help get me get the exposure I need,” Haribeaj said. “I’ll just go there and do anything I can to win this fight.

“It is very important. This is something on my way to reaching my goal. This is one step closer. I’m very focused. I’m mentally strong for this and I believe I’m going to be victorious.”

For Haribeaj, August 28 could be a career turning point and provide him with the opportunity to move up to the next level of his career.

“The LFA is one of the biggest feeders to the UFC, which is what I want,” said Haribeaj. “I want to get some exposure and show what I’m about.”