The judges might as well pack it in early on this one.
Lethbridge's Joel Odorski (2-0, 1 NC) is set to host Athabasca's Josh Kitchen (5-3) inside the octagon for a middleweight showdown at Rumble in the Cage 62, taking place Saturday night in Lethbridge, Alta.
Looking at both fighters' past performances, 41-year-old Odorski figures this bout won't make it to the distance, and he'd prefer to secure a submission victory.
"A submission would be ideal; I haven't tapped someone out since my first amateur bout," Odorski shared during an interview.
"I expect plenty of striking exchanges standing up, but once we hit the mat, I think it'll evolve into an exciting grappling battle."
Across Odorski's five combined pro and amateur contests, every single one has wrapped up before the final bell sounded. Meanwhile, six of Kitchen's eight professional appearances also went the distance without a decision being called.
At 36 years old, Kitchen sees the stylistic clash between himself and Odorski as a recipe for a war, predicting the judges will have a clear outcome on their hands.
"Let the judges enjoy a drink after this one — they won't be required. I have zero doubt this fight gets finished in some fashion," Kitchen told reporters.
"I enjoy inflicting damage on opponents, I stay active and look for openings. Whether it's a knockout, TKO, or submission, I'll pounce on whichever opportunity presents itself first."
Throughout his career, Odorski has never dodged a challenge, facing off against heavily touted amateur Josh Mackenzie during Mackenzie's pro debut, as well as Eric Stevens earlier in his amateur run, among others.
By the numbers, Kitchen represents Odorski's sternest challenge yet, and Odorski confirmed he fully anticipates it and has been training accordingly.
"I'm aware of his skill set — he's a top-tier grappler who truly brings his A-game to every fight," Odorski noted.
"One topic I discussed with my coach Lee Mein was knowing Josh never quits, and I know he'll be coming out swinging for a classic slugfest."
Odorski's most recent cage appearance came back in April at Rumble in the Cage 61, where he was originally declared victorious over Gage Saunders following illegal elbow strikes. That ruling was subsequently overturned and converted to a no-contest.
Regardless of how the outcome shook out, Odorski said the experience drove home just how harshly small errors are punished at the professional level compared to amateur competition.
"It turned out to be beneficial for me in a way. It reinforced the lesson that at this tier, you get penalized for even minor slip-ups," Odorski reflected.
AI CONTENT END 1
