Maged Hammo is preparing for his inaugural title defense against an opponent who knows him well.
Lethbridge, Alta.'s Hammo (10-6-1) will put his Unified MMA featherweight belt on the line against Edmonton, Alta.'s Neal Anderson (11-4) in a rematch bout at Unified MMA 45 on Friday night in Edmonton.
The 32-year-old Hammo acknowledged he anticipated this rematch given how tightly contested their initial encounter was and the electric atmosphere surrounding it.
Even though Hammo won that opening matchup, he believes he can raise his game significantly in the return bout and anticipates Anderson will have sharpened his own craft as well.
"We're fighters; if you're not getting better then you're not doing it right. I'm only expecting him to get better just like I'm getting better. We're both kind of reaching new levels and new heights here, so it's going to be a nice, big barn fight," said Hammo in an interview with MMA Empire.
"He's working on his skills that he has and I'm working on my skills that I have. It's going to be one of those things where we're both going to come in, clash, and see what we've all worked on, so we'll see how it goes."
While claiming the title initially represented a remarkable milestone in Hammo's career, he emphasized the ripple effect his success had on fans, particularly young athletes—a feeling he hopes to recreate during this weekend's event.
"It was amazing. Just all the kids looking up to you like that, there's nothing like it, seriously," said Hammo.
"It's more thrilling in that situation than just about anything else. I like being a role model to younger generations."
