There’s no doubting this one will be a war.
Vancouver’s Gio Platon (3-1) is set to defend his BFL amateur bantamweight title for the first time against California’s Donavin Morris (2-0) Saturday night at BFL 63 in Coquitlam, B.C.
Despite having just six combined fights between them, Platon, 25, said with the well-rounded games they both carry, he’s expecting an elite-level matchup that he will come out on top of.
“I see some amazing striking exchanges, some amazing grappling exchanges, and I see myself being dominant all the way through, from the stand-up down to the jiu-jitsu,” said Platon in an interview.
“Mentally, I’m all there right now. Physically, I’m all there right now. It’s definitely going to be a hell of a fight because I know he’s going to come ready and I’m taking no shortcuts.”
In the past few months, Platon made the move to Checkmat Vancouver to train with the elite team building there.
From UFC fighters Tristan Connelly and Cole Smith to top regional prospects Jamie Siraj and Achilles Estremadura, Platon said being able to train alongside these fighters has been a real motivator for him.
“It’s definitely been humbling and training with these top guys has definitely put a new perspective in my eyes for how far I can go in the MMA world,” said Platon.
“It’s been a blessing to witness, first hand, what they go through to be at the top. It’s been quite the ride so far.”
Platon enters his first title defence after defeating Mitch Strazzella in Nov. 2018 at BFL 58 to claim his bantamweight strap.
Although he did come out on top in the affair, Platon said one of his biggest takeaways from the contest was trying to stay more patient and avoid getting emotional.
“The biggest things I learned from my fight with Mitch were I can take a punch, I can stay composed in there, and not get emotional,” said Platon.
“I just need to stay patient in there, have fun, and enjoy the moment. Next week, I’m definitely going to take my time in there and show people what I have in my toolbox.”
Morris Young and Fearless
Making the trip from up from Long Beach, CA, Morris, 19, will be entering enemy territory for the first time in his young MMA career.
But having experienced several muay thai fights in this same villain role, Morris said he thrives off being the underdog.
“I like being the underdog. I swear I like it so much because I’m one of those dudes that likes to say I told you so; you should’ve went with me from the start,” said Morris in an interview.
“It’s really no pressure on my part, it’s more pressure on him in his hometown. I like to hear boos more than cheers because the more you doubt me, the hungrier I’m coming.”
While he only holds the two MMA fights under his belt, Morris is no stranger to competition, having several muay thai fights to his name.
Morris said with his muay thai background and the work he’s been putting in at Fight Solutions HQ, he believes he’ll have the edge over Platon wherever the fight goes.
“I’m a well-rounded fighter. If he wants to take it to the ground, we can go there. If he wants to keep it standing up, we can do that too,” said Morris.
“I have a striking background and I have a jiu-jitsu background; I feel like I have it all and I feel I have the edge in everything.”
Both of Morris’ victories have come before the final bell, with his amateur debut win being a submission finish and his most recent win being a first round knockout.
And with Platon also having yet to leave a fight in the hands of the judges, Morris said the fans can expect a wild and entertaining scrap.
“From what it looks like, he can hit pretty heavy, but I hit just as hard and maybe harder,” said Morris.
“There’s definitely going to be some blood up in there, and one thing I can say for sure is my hand’s going to be raised.”
Platon’s Shoutouts
“I want to give a big shoutout to all my coaches (Tristan, Dan, Simon), my gym Checkmat Vancouver, Poesner’s Pankration, Scorpion, my sponsors (Strike Recovery, Grain, and Tubbs Entertainment), and everyone that’s going to be there.” Follow Platon on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
Morris’ Shoutouts
“I’d like to thank Gerson Schilipacke, Natasha Creger, my teammates (Anthony Warken, Michael Pollinger, and Carlos Alvarado), my parents, my brothers and sisters, the rest of my family and everyone who supports me.” Follow Morris on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
