CALGARY – Chris Lee Byrne may be entering hostile territory.

In less than a month on May 6, the Ontario fighter will take on hometown favourite Ali Charkie at Unified 44 in Calgary, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass.

Byrne is ready for the boos from the Calgary faithful, and he’s ready to hear the crowd go crazy when Charkie enters the cage.

But it’s business as usual for Byrne, who’s 5-1 on the strength of four straight wins heading into his Unified MMA debut on UFC Fight Pass.

“I don’t give a (expletive) about that. I have no problem with that,” he says with a laugh. “I’m glad that he has that support behind him. Good for him, but I’m coming to fight. It’s only going to be me and him in there.”

Once the cage door locks, Byrne believes his experience will be too much for Charkie, who brings a 2-1 record into battle.

“I’m going to box him up. I think he’s going to try to keep it standing because I’m a BJJ black belt, then I’m going to light him up on the feet,” Bryne says.

“I don’t shoot for takedowns. I’ve only attempted two or three takedowns in my career. I’m going to strike with him. I think he’s going to be the one who tries to take me down, and then we’ll go from there.”

One thing is for certain.

“At the end of the day, man, I’m just looking to fight.”

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ABOUT UNIFIED MMA

Unified MMA is Canada’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, showcasing the country’s top-ranked fighters, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass. The organization has successfully promoted 43 events since it was founded in 2009, and has propelled several athletes to the UFC’s Octagon.