Is Berry ready to convert this second shot at the Unified MMA light heavyweight title?
The Rumble in the Cage light heavyweight champion Berry (9-9) of Lethbridge, Alberta, isn't new to the spotlight, and he'll be chasing the Unified MMA light heavyweight championship once again. On Unified MMA 40, held Saturday night, he's set to challenge defending champion Graham Park (7-2) of Edmonton, Alberta, and try to spoil the champ's maiden title defense.
This wouldn't be Berry's first run at the Unified belt. Just two bouts earlier, he squared off against Park's training partner, Teddy Ash, in a bid for the championship.
That attempt fell short, but Berry described the bout as a valuable lesson following his second return to competition after a lengthy break. Most recently, Berry earned a clean submission victory, and he's eager to carry that confidence forward into Saturday's matchup.
"I picked up so much from my bout against Teddy Ash," Berry told MMA Empire.
"It was booked on short notice and I was absolutely wired coming in. Against Anton, though, I was far more focused and grounded, and that made all the difference. My goal is to finish fights—I don't want to hand it to the judges, and I'd rather avoid dragging out a contest unnecessarily. That said, rushing things has its own pitfalls. For this upcoming fight, I need to be disciplined and keep my nerves from taking the wheel."
Through years of highs and lows in the sport, Berry has developed a growing resilience to adversity.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic posed serious hurdles for countless athletes, Berry viewed it as a rare chance to pause and address gaps in his game.
"At the end of the day, it was just the right moment to focus on the fundamentals," Berry reflected.
