One of Canada’s brightest young prospects, Hakeem Dawodu, is trying to get on the UFC 240 card in Edmonton, Alberta, but the clock is ticking.
And he says nobody is willing to fight him.
“Mean” Hakeem claims that two guys have already turned him down, and he’s starting to get frustrated.
“I got offered this dude from Kazakhstan, and he (expletive) around for like two weeks just to say no,” Dawodu told MMA Junkie on Friday. “Then they asked some other dude whose name they won’t disclose. He didn’t want it either, so now I’m just sitting here, like it’s some (expletive).”
After losing his UFC debut, Dawodu (9-1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) rebounded with two straight wins over Austin Arnett and Kyle Bochniak. His last two fights were in his home country of Canada, and he’s happy to keep fighting there.
In fact, Dawodu’s first five pro fights were all in Edmonton, and all five victories came by way of knockout. Some of his best memories lie in the city of Edmonton, as he hopes to get the opportunity to add one more next month.
“Edmonton is my city,” Dawodu said. “Shoutout to ‘Gold Teeth Canada’ in Edmonton; they hooked me up with my first gold grills. A lot of good memories in Edmonton. I’d be the main event.”
With the Canadian MMA scene in the UFC not as hot as it once was –Georges St. Pierre retiring and Elias Theodorou’s recent surprise release – Dawodu hopes to be the one to turn things around.
“I feel a bit of pressure,” Dawodu said. “But I know if I’m at my best, I’ll represent my country with pride, and no one can beat me at my best.”
UFC 240 takes place July 27 and is headlined by featherweight champion Max Holloway defending his title against Frankie Edgar at the Rogers Place.
For more on UFC 240, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
