Teddy Ash talks Unified 37: “This will be my best performance yet!”

Apr 15, 2019

EDMONTON — Teddy “Bear” Ash has established himself as Canada’s top middleweight contender. He’s hungry to add to his body of work, and further stake his claim for a UFC deal, when he defends the Unified MMA Middleweight Championship against Brazilian wrecking machine Marcio Alexandre, who’s coming off an impressive submission victory for Dana White’s Contender Series — one of his seven straight wins coming into fight night at Unified 37. Before the cage door locks May 24 at River Cree Resort & Casino, Ash spoke with Unified MMA’s Ed Kapp.

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Is training camp now in full swing, or are you just always in training camp at this point in your career?

(Laughs) I’m pretty much always in training camp, yeah. It’s a year-round thing for me now; this is my sixth fight in about 14 months. I’m always preparing for something (laughs).

That said, how important was that last win for you?

It was definitely really important to me, on a different level than just another win. I wanted to show that I was more than what I showed in my previous fight. I was lucky to get the rematch with Dom Steele, back to back, and show how good I am.

What do you know about Marcio Alexandre?

He’s a really tough guy. He’s very sharp and well-rounded. Good striking and great jiu-jitsu. He’s smart. I’m going to have to be on my game.

Was there any hesitation to take this fight?

No, I jumped at it right away. I love it. It’s a new challenge. I like fighting guys with good records and high levels of ability. This is perfect.

What’s the most likely outcome for this fight?

As per usual, I’m not going to give you a cliche answer about leaving it all in the cage, wanting to have my hand raised. I expect my best performance yet. I’ve been training extremely hard and I can’t wait to show my improvements. This will be my best fight to date, I’m going to come out on top and retain my title.

How important is it for you to show improvements on a fight-to-fight basis?

That’s pretty big, man. I’m getting more experience, which just makes me more dangerous. Every time you win, you’re leveling up. I’m getting so much better all the time, and it’s an honor to show that to my family, friends and fans in the cage.

Do you think this is your final non-UFC bout?

I’m not too sure what’s going to happen. I won’t be surprised by anything. I’m just focusing everything I’ve got on this fight, trying to make it my best performance yet. Everything else will take care of its self.

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