The European MMA scene has been abuzz in recent weeks over the return of one of its favourite fighting sons. Jordan ‘The Epidemic’ Vucenic announced that he will once against strap on the iconic Famous Yellow Gloves of Cage Warriors on November 15th, when he takes on one of the scene’s hottest prospects in his old fortress: London’s indigo at The O2.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 196 are availible here!
With just weeks to go before the CW legend returns, he sat down with Cage Warriors resident Play-by-Play man Brad Wharton to talk about the journey back, and his plans for moving forward.
“It had to be London, course it did!“
Where else, right? While his Cage Warriors tenure may have begun in earnest during the dreaded ‘Pandemic Era’, Vucenic forged his legend through iconic nights at the indigo; Chase and Status blaring, fans singing along and big performances inside the cage.
It was always going to be London, but after close to eight months on the sidelines, Vucenic was happy to have something tangible within touching distance.
“Yeah I’m excited like you said, to have something to aim for again, you know. It’s just been a lot of sitting on the sidelines, just waiting out, so I’m happy to get back in and I’m happy to have a great opponent to share my experience back with. I’m buzzing, buzzing to go!“
That great opponent is Torpal Merjoev, an undefeated up and comer fighting out of Norway who has many wise heads touting him as a serious problem at 155lbs. Despite being just one fight into his CW tenure, ‘Rambo’ has already made significant waves, and Vucenic is under no illusion about what Merjoev stands to gain from fighting him.
“I’ve watched a few of his fights. I watched the Teddy fight live you know! Like he said, he shocked everybody with a finish in the second round. Look, he’s a good opponent, and the thing is for him, this is a win-win situation. If he goes out there and he beats me, everyone is going to be like, ‘Whoa, who’s this new kid on the block?!?’. If I win, sort of the same thing… ‘Maybe it was a bit too much, too soon for this guy'”.
With Merjoev’s hype as a relative unknown, many have commended Vucenic for taking what they see as a significant risk. That’s not exactly how he sees the situation though.
“I’m on a two fight skid so how is it a risk for me? I’m just another guy that wants to fight, that wants to be one of the best in the world. This guy could be the next big thing, you never know! So lets get it, I’m exited!“
With that said, this isn’t a fights he’s taking easily. The Corby man is under no illusion that Merjoev is there as a placeholder or to make up the numbers.
“I know this guy is young and hungry, and he’s going to want it. I have to be super switched on and look, you’re only as good as your last fight, and my last fight wasn’t that good. So yeah, I’ve got to come into this all guns blazing. I’ve got to really put a stamp on it.“
While there’s a palpable sense of frustration in Vucenic’s voice when he mentions his UFC run, its clear that any damage to his pride or confidence was only temporary. The only thing he has to prove, is what he’s known all along.
“My first fight in the UFC was short notice, my second one, I just wasn’t myself. I just need to go back in there and prove to everybody what I know to be true, what my coaches know to be true. And like I said, what an opponent I’ve got to do it against. Young, hungry, undefeated…coming off the biggest win of his career in his last fight. It’s going to be a good one.“
With the past clearly behind him, Vucenic has his sights set firmly on the future, and two specific goals that both he and his opponent have in common. The first? Getting that big, gold belt around his waist and the second, another crack at the world leader.
“Champ-champ sounds nice to me! And then get back to the UFC, that’s my main goal anyway. No disrespect to Torpal or any of my opponents, but I’m tunnel visioned to get back to the UFC…and I suppose that’s how he should be, that’s how anybody should be if they want to be the best in the world, you should be tunnel visioned.”
“But like Torpal has said, I’ve got to get past this one first and I’m going to take it one fight at a time. Like I said earlier, judge me off my last fight. You’re only as good as your last fight so look, lets try and make this one the next best one!”
Vucenic’s performances at the indigo have become the stuff of Cage Warriors legend. If you’ve seen them before, you know the score, but he still had once last hard-sell for the uninitiated.
“I’m going to put on a show. I think me and Torpal are going to put on a really great fight, and you’re going to get your money’s worth…even if you only come just for this one fight! It’s going to be a banger, I’m telling you!”
That’s the fans taken care of, but Vucenic also had some last words for the man who’ll stand opposite him on November 15th.
“My message to Torpal? Thank you for taking it…its hard to get me matched against anyone in Europe. When I came back to Cage Warriors they said it’s going to be hard to match (me), but they’ve done it and Torpal’s the man who’s stepped up!“
“15th of November, lets get it crackin!“
Jordan Vucenic returns at Cage Warriors 196 on Saturday, November 15th. Tickets are available here. The event will air live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners. You can watch the full ‘Head to Head’ with Vucenic, Merjoev and Brad Wharton, plus lots more incredible content via the Cage Warriors YouTube channel below!