Seven years ago, Michael Imperato stood at 7-1 on a four-fight win streak, poised for a shot at the highest level. Today, the Canadian fighter believes history may be ready to repeat itself.
Imperato (9-4) squares off against Eric Wilson (7-10) in pursuit of the vacant Tarps Off Fight Club featherweight championship at the organization's debut card, Tarps Off Fight Club 1. The bout takes place Saturday evening at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ont.
A victory this weekend would give Imperato a three-bout win streak alongside a newly minted championship belt.
In his own mind, that triumph would mirror the momentum he experienced when he reached 7-1 overall and captured the XFFC bantamweight crown by defeating Jesse Arnett. That achievement becomes even more remarkable considering he climbed out of a three-fight losing streak—one that stripped him of his XFFC title—to land in this position.
"A lot of things happened and I was in a real low spot," Imperato told MMA Empire. "I came back and I said I wanted just to fight one more time, almost like I would retire. And that was just to show that I beat the sport and the sport didn't beat me. But then I wanted to fight again. I did and then I won. Now it's like alright, if I win again we're back in the picture for the UFC."
"The belt is always great to have," he continued. "This one, I was told Eric couldn't make 35, so they wanted to do it at 45. But to me I'm not a featherweight, I'm a 35er. I make 35 really easy. The weight has never been hard for me. I enjoy making weight and feel like I'm a better fighter at that weight. I'm world class at that weight. The belt is great, but I'm not going to be a champion at 45. I'll collect it and I'll hang it up on my Christmas tree for Christmas or whatever. Great picture, add it to the collection. It's more about getting the win, erase those three losses and continue from there."
Throughout his career, Imperato has never avoided challenging matchups, having faced notable competition including Jesse Arnett, Xavier Alaoui, and Julio Arce.
When discussing Wilson's strengths and fighting style, Imperato acknowledged both the opponent's technical skill and the significance of his career accomplishments.
"I don't really watch much on anybody, any of my opponents," Imperato explained. "I just fight whoever, wherever, whenever. My game is kind of structured to fight anybody. It's just a mental adjustment I've got to make in my head. My whole life I've had last-minute replacements or cancellations, so I've always trained that way. I don't train for anyone, I just train to fight. I think Eric has been around for a long time."
"His record isn't great, but that doesn't take anything away from him because I think he's really talented," he added. "I don't think he's been finished, or maybe once, but a lot of his fights go the distance and he's had a lot of championship fights, a lot of five-round fights where I haven't. There's a lot of ups and downs, but him directly, I think he brings it. He pushes it, he's down to throw down, he's down to grapple. Definitely a tough guy to finish, so it's going to be an interesting fight for sure."
Fighting in Ontario—and across Canada more broadly—represents something special for Imperato.
While he's visited the Niagara area before, the upcoming card marks his first time competing there in MMA.
"I mean, I've only been lucky enough to fight twice in Ontario, one being Slammer in the Hammer, which was great," Imperato said. "It was only 45 minutes to an hour drive to my house, so to me that's home. Then recently Prospect Fighting (Championships) in Toronto, which again half-hour opposite direction of downtown Toronto. But again close, that's home."
"Niagara, for me, it's around the corner," he continued. "I used to go a lot out there. I like the casino out there. A lot of good places to train. I have a lot of family and friends coming out. For me, it's home. Anywhere Ontario is home. Even traveling to Montreal and Ottawa when I fought there, 14-hour drive. That was kind of home as well. When you start fighting in the States, certain people can't come. Car rentals, buses, and shuttles start dragging on you."
