Maged Hammo is chasing his first shot at a championship belt.
Lethbridge, Alta.'s Hammo (9-5-1) steps up against Edmonton, Alta.'s Neal Anderson (10-3) in the Unified MMA 40 co-main event. The fighters will battle for the vacant Unified MMA featherweight championship, with coverage streamed on UFC Fight Pass. Fans can catch the action live from River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton on Saturday evening.
The pairing represents a classic Canadian Martial Arts Centre versus Shaved Bears MMA showdown, pitting two elite Calgary-area gyms against each other in a competitive, mutual-respect matchup.
"I know for a fact that he's got some good power and reach on him. He's a very good standup guy. I like to bang too, right. We're both bangers, so I'm sure it's going to be a standup war," said Hammo in an interview with MMA Empire.
"If it goes to the ground, it goes to the ground. If it stays standing, it stays standing. But I do want to test myself against him with striking because I know he's very well-rounded and I want to kind of see where I'm at standing. Basically, a way to see where you're at in the competition time."
A family atmosphere defines Hammo's home gym, CMC, where martial artists build deep connections.
Hammo's training partner Neil Berry is preparing to challenge for the light heavyweight title in the night's main event. The two CMC teammates have been pushing each other hard ahead of the mid-August event.
"Our camp is kind of together, Neil Berry's and mine at the same time. We're going for the same goal and we push each other. We feed off each other's energy and we kind of just keep driving," said Hammo.
"And then we got guys like Brandt Dewsbery, Spencer Rohovie, Tim Tamaki, all of those kinds of veterans that are coming in and helping us out whenever they can."
Hammo's most recent MMA outing came against Fred Stonehouse, and it was an absolute scrap, widely considered the Fight of the Night at Rumble in the Cage 59 by many spectators.
Like Anderson, Hammo, 31, described Stonehouse as a dangerous opponent but the kind of challenge he thrives against.
"He was very skilled, a very high-level guy. I was nervous coming into that fight actually, but I was feeling good still. I knew he was going to be a tough opponent," said Hammo.
"The only way to get better is to fight guys like that, right. You don't want to fight guys that you can just beat up no problem. You want to fight guys that can beat you up and then still come out on top. That's the kind of fights I look for."
That mindset is evident in Hammo's career path and the caliber of fighters he's faced.
Hammo previously crossed paths with now-UFC featherweight Ryan Hall at the inaugural Challenge MMA event in August 2013. Looking back on fighting Hall so early in both their careers has become an interesting reflection point for Hammo over the years.
"I think I fought him too soon when I did fight him. I wasn't where I'm at today jiu-jitsu-wise and he was an expert already. And I thought my striking would be enough for him, but I would fight him again right now. And I would beat him right now, in my opinion. Like in my head, that's how I am right now because my jiu-jitsu and my ground game has come so far since," said Hammo.
"I feel like it'd be a fair competition for him now and I would actually put up a good fight towards him. But I think back then I wasn't experienced enough at all. I wasn't ready and I just kind of jumped in there just because it's a fight."
A more calculated approach and improved grappling would produce a very different outcome in a hypothetical rematch with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, according to Hammo.
"Since that fight, I've been filling a lot of my holes and stuff like that because I knew after that fight I had to work on my ground game and I had to get better if I wanted to beat top-level guys like that. Look at him now, he's already in the UFC beating top-level guys," said Hammo.
"I feel like if I would have put my time in back then, I would have been the same level as him, kind of competing against those guys too. But different paths, different roads. Hopefully, one day, I can rematch with him so I can kind of get some revenge."
Follow Hammo on social media: INSTAGRAM
