James Vick is headlining his first ever UFC card at UFC Fight Night Lincoln and the opponent on that night is going to be former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje.
This main event spot originally went to Al Iaquinta, but he fell out of the fight and lady luck smiled upon Vick.
“I was surprised to get it, I guess Iaquinta’s knee was hurt or he was having problems with the UFC or whatever. I don’t really know the details of that, but they called me the day before they were supposed to do the promotions in Nebraska and said ‘(do) you want the fight.’ I looked at my phone and I had a bunch of missed calls and I was like ‘damn,’ because you get a call two weeks before you were supposed to fight and you think that your opponent got injured. It was fortunate that this happened and of course I mean that he took the opportunity and then flew out the next day to promote event and here we are…one week out,” says Vick in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Vick comes into the fight with the majority of the momentum on his side, as the fighter in currently on a four fight winning streak and Gaethje is on a two bout losing streak.
The first time UFC main eventer has a plan to get the big win and that involves knocking Gaethje out.
“I see a knockout, I see a knockout. I think with my skillset and the way I move and can outpoint a lot of people, most people…I can win with a decision on the outside. Certain fans may not like that and certain do, but I don’t really care…I’m not going to change my style for them. Justin Gaethje’s not that guy, he’s not going to stay on the outside and lose a decision. He’d rather get knocked out, so that’s what’s going to happen. He’s gonna come in and he’s gonna throw caution to the wind like he always does, it could be in the first round…but I’m gonna hit him with something very clean in the first round because he doesn’t care. That’s his only way to win, he doesn’t have another way to win. I think there’s no way this fights going to a decision because he’s not willing to sit on the outside. In my last fight I fought (Francisco) Trinaldo and I was up on the cards, I just stayed on the outside and I won a decision and Trinaldo just kind of accepted being out there. Gathje’s not that guy, its gonna be his undoing. When he runs in and starts swinging wildly, he’s gonna get knocked out,” says Vick.
UFC Fight Night Lincoln takes place on Saturday, August 25 from the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska with Justin Gaethje and James Vick headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox Sports 1.
