LONDON – UFC light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa knows when he wants to fight. He just doesn’t know who will stand on the other side of the cage.
But for the man known as “Poster Boy,” the name doesn’t really matter.
“There’s loads of new contenders in light heavyweight, so I’m good to go,” Manuwa recently told reporters, including MMAjunkie. “That’s what happens. There’s always new fighters coming through. It’s great for the sport.”
Manuwa last saw action in December, suffering a disappointing knockout loss to one such new name, Thiago “Marreta” Santos. The English slugger has been sidelined since then but says he’s healing from a groin injury at a promising rate and now eyes June 1’s UFC on ESPN+ 10 as the perfect card to host his return.
“We’re getting there, getting fit,” Manuwa said. “I think I’m aiming for the June card in Sweden.”
A perennial contender at 205 pounds, Manuwa’s recent three-fight slide has seen him drop to No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA light heavyweight rankings. But the Brit believes he’s capable of beating anyone in the division and mentioned names such as No. 5 Dominick Reyes and No. 11 Johnny Walker as intriguing new arrivals to the division.
“With the light heavyweights, I think with the top-10, top-15, anyone can beat anyone,” Manuwa said.
To hear more from Manuwa, check out the video above.
For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, including UFC on ESPN+ 10, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
