LONDON – Mike Grundy will have a lot more on his mind Saturday than just snapping a losing streak.
Grundy (12-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) meets Makwan Amirkhani (16-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 204 where his job could be on the line after falling short in his past two octagon appearances. But for the 35-year-old Team Kaobon fighter, the motivation to get his hand raised stems mainly from having his father, who Grundy said has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, cageside to watch him fight.
“This fight is so much more than me keeping my job off the two losses,” Grundy told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC London media day. “This fight is to put on a performance for my dad. Sadly, my dad has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he’s gonna be there cageside watching me on the night, and that is what it means to me.
“There is absolutely no chance that this guy is gonna put me away on Saturday night. You can put me in with the heavyweights on the main event, and they won’t put me away either because I’m there to put on a performance in front of my dad, and that is what it means to me, and that’s the main thing. I’m gonna dedicate this fight and this win to my dad.”
Grundy’s two losses have come to tough competition in dynamic striker Lando Vannata and top prospect Movsar Evloev. The standout wrestler hasn’t been able to live up to his potential yet, but he’s confident that with his father in attendance, it’ll bring out the best of him.
“Having that thing in the back of your mind, and you know my dad is gonna be sat there, he’s gonna be cageside,” Grundy said. “To have him there, and we don’t know how many more he’s gonna be able to be there for, is special to me. It definitely lights a fire in my belly and it’s definitely gonna bring a different animal in me. It definitely is, and hopefully that’s gonna be a Performance of the Night.”
UFC Fight Night 204 takes place Saturday at O2 Arena in London. The card streams on ESPN+.
Watch Grundy’s complete pre-fight media availability above.