A soil falstring strolling down The Strip with his headcoach Martin Kampmann, team leader Niels Caspersen and masseur Hassan Torabi.
On the big billboards along the famous boulevard in Las Vegas advertised for Saturday's big Ultimate Fighting Championship event: UFC 248.
A number competition.
Over there, you might rather say, to Mark O. Madsen is more or less down to earth ... It is he, indeed, also, if you were to just on the spur of the moment to try to describe the 35-year-old Danish MMA warrior.
But if you reverse thinking about an extra time, yes, then the scenario might, in fact, a quite different: the For can Mark O. rightly not known as a tireless falstring with delusions of grandeur?
It is, perhaps, anyway just to tighten it ...
But when Mark O. at a press conference for just under two years ago announced that he had chosen to set his otherwise impressive career as a greco-roman wrestler, it was with the words:
– I will see if I can drive it far in kampsporten MMA. The goal is to fight in a megakamp in the UFC-auspices against the best in the world.
It can call an ambitious goal; whether it actually was realistic, and it was then impossible to foretell.
Photo: Aleksander Klug
But now he is here so – in the fight capital of number one, as he himself calls it – on the eve of the aforementioned megakamp, as the Mark O. therefore, even proclaimed was the big goal a few years back.
the Battle should be in T-Mobile Arena, which almost can accommodate approximately 20,000 – and, of course, a MMA cage, the merciless The Octagon. It is rekordhurtigt, that Mark O. is here on the poster for a so-called number the UFC competition. Kampmann gave the same in his third UFC fight, while tonight's fight against american Austin Hubbard to the UFC 248 just Mark O.'s second appearance in the UFC under the auspices of the.
– It is both completely wild and rather weird at the same time. But I try as far as possible, to keep the snout in the track still, stresses Mark O. Madsen. A real Mark O.-classic.
– There is, I'm both lucky and privileged to be from the island of Lolland-Falster: For we are damn good at keeping both feet on the ground, while it is no doubt difficult to absorb the whole experience over here.
- It is almost unreal at times. The waiting is, in reality, just a regular MMA fight. So it may well be, that it takes place in Las Vegas in T-Mobile Arena, but in reality, the fight could just as well be fought anywhere else in The world: it could only even be in a barn on the island of Lolland-Falster. The task would be exactly the same, the beats Mark O. fixed.
It is a letvægtsduel in the 70 kilo class. Mark O.'s opponent Hubbard, the 28-year-old american, fighting more or less on home turf, while the Nevada Athletic Commission shall provide for the judges.
But such is the gamete just, notes, Mark O., who earlier in his career in greco-roman context have fought a myriad of times at stamford bridge – among others, in Azerbaijan, and it was worse – and won.
So it touches him, not really. There is he well almost Greek-catholic.
– Now, I meet an american ... So I'm aware of, that he must onduleres in convincing style, if I have to go home with a victory. All the talk about home versus abroad is not at all my focus. I revolve solely around it, I can verify: I must accomplish my task in the best way possible and remain in the present moment.
- I expect that I manage to deliver my best. I expect I am able to stay on track. Now we find out if my best is good enough? But there is no doubt that I will be the greenest on Saturday's fight card, smågriner Mark O. – though not with a nervous pull. On the contrary.
Wobbler or the UFC jitters – operates not with in danskerlejren. Mentally Mark O. rock-solid:
– I certainly have not packed a diaper with. The opportunity exists not in my head, he finishes.
Mark O maste Patrick Nielsen to a pulp in June last year. Photo: Tariq Mikkel Khan
Video: UFC 248
(70,3 kg) – so-called Prelim-fight.
9 (1 UFC-fight)
0
35 years
1, 73 m
70,3 kg
182,9 cm
11 (1 UFC-fight)
3 (1 UFC-fight)
28 years old
1,78 m.
70,3 kg
180, 3 cm
Show more Close--------- SPLIT ELEMENT ---------
MMA expert: Yes, he is a threatEkspertkommentator and former UFC heavyweight Christian Colombo considers Saturday's opponent Austin Hubbard as a serious challenge for Mark O.
– Yes, Hubbard is a threat. He is a former champ in Legacy Fighting Alliance ... A counterpart to Europe's Cage Warriors. He has an excellent record and can regale with a lot of things in the cage.
- It then becomes a solid challenge for Mark O., who, especially in the first two laps will not have it easy in relation to his thesis, namely nedtagninger, says Christian Colombo.
– Mark shall in every case be careful not to become too passive in the cage – standing – that he may easily end up being penalized for. But when it is said, so I am in fact very confident, says MMA the expert.
Colombo is not in doubt that you should be where you have decided to extra time with have to tip your hat over again to have a Danish MMA-fight on a big fight card as the UFC 248 in Las Vegas.
– even Though the guarantee is still some in the MMA environment in denmark, who believes that it is too bad that Mark O. so quickly can appear at a numbered event, so should and can only support up on the fight.
- In the big picture it is only good for the Danish MMA – and it may in fact only increase the chances of the UFC one day return to Denmark, says Colombo.
on Saturday night to Mark O. first and foremost, any prove that he has developed - and in particular developed his game standing, so the repertoire not only consists of an overhand right, ending the ekspertkommentatoren, who would also like to see the Danish MMA-fighting can threaten with submissions, if – or rather when – the fight ends up on the floor.
Lynsejr in debut
at the historic UFC competition in the Royal Arena last year, debuted at the Mark O. Madsen in the UFC-cage with a lynsejr.
falstring just had to use a measly one minute and 12 seconds to wipe out his Italian opponent, namely Danilo Belluardo, with a KO/TKO victory.
--------- SPLIT ELEMENT ---------
Mark O., in company with vicepresident in the UFC, David Shaw (tv.) and the mayor of Guldborgsund Municipality John Boards. Photo: Chris Unger
Kampmann: Many buckle under the pressureAs a former UFC-fight by Martin Kampmann about someone, what is waiting in T-Mobile Arena: He knows about the pulse, there inevitably rises a little when down in the catacombs under the arena – almost in pure gladiatorstil – can hear the audience's brutal enthusiasm in the seconds before the whole boom loose in the MMA cage in front of several thousand people.
– Many have cracked under the tremendous pressure. But right here is Mark incredibly strong. He has tried it many times before for both the OLYMPICS and the WORLD cup.
- For both of us, it is only about one thing: We are not raised to Las Vegas just to participate. Mark is here to win; to rise in the ranks. The ambition is to be the best.
- We are taken to the UNITED states to reach quite to the top, says Martin Kampmann who had 18 fights in the UFC, before he set his career.
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