Joe Fields is looking to extend his current streak of four wins as he faces off against number three flyweight in the UK and Ireland, Tommy Clarke, in Liverpool on Saturday evening.
The Hull-born MMA fighter, who is ranked number two in the UK and Ireland, will be hoping to add the FCC interim flyweight title to his collection at Full Contact Contender (FCC) 31, having won the Almighty Fighting Championship flyweight title in August.
Fighting out of Mad Hatters Academy, Clarke recently fought the current number one Gary Rooney in a bout which saw Clarke taste defeat for only the second time in amateur career.
Fields says his preparation for this fight has put him in confident mood ahead of the bout.
He said: “I’ve been training with some top guys, like some of the best flyweights in the country.
“It’s the most prepared and the best shape I’ve been in so yeah, I’m ready to show my skills on Saturday.”
Having defeated Shawon Choudhury in August to win the Almighty Fighting Championship, Fields wants to build on that performance coming at FCC 31.
He said: “I think you are always more confident from your last fight, so I feel like each performance I’m building on what I’ve done.
“The way that I finished the fight has definitely put me in a confident position and it’s driven me for this fight.”
Clarke’s jiu jitsu is a strong weapon in his arsenal and has caused havoc for his opponents. With multiple wins through various submissions, armbars and choke holds, this is something that Fields is ready to combat.
He said: “I think the first thing is that every fight starts on the feet. I think he’s got to take me down first which I think he’ll struggle with.
“I feel like a lot of the guys that Tommy has fought have purely grappled with him. Even his last fight it was a pure grappling match, like it went two, three rounds before it was finished and there were hardly any strikes. So, my grappling’s an MMA style.
“I’m going to be punching. I’m going to be landing ground and pound. So, if I was him, I wouldn’t be looking to just try and pull guard or hang out on my back and look for submissions like that because I’m doing MMA.”
Sometimes there can be a sense of bitterness or dislike between fighters pre-event. There’s none of that on Fields’ side coming into the fight. Considering Clarke fought just over a month ago, he could have stated he needed more time to prepare and get ready for the occasion. Taking this fight on has not been lost on Fields.
He said: “I appreciate him taking the fight. He’s not taken it on short notice but he fought not that long ago so fair play to him. He could’ve said ‘no I want some more time like I’ve just fought’ that’s what most guys do.
“It’ll be a good fight. I respect him. He’s a top opponent and yeah, I’m just looking forward to it.”
FCC 31 is at The Olympia in Liverpool with the doors opening at 4pm. The first fight is due to start at 5pm and Fields vs Clarke will begin at around 8pm.
Watch the full interview with Joe Fields>>>
