The time has finally come for Terry Lemaire.
Canada’s Lemaire (5-2) will once again be making the trip south of the border to compete, only this time he’ll be looking to check a shiny gold belt through customs on the way back.
The next stop on the “Good Time” tour is Dayton, Ohio and a main event showdown with current Colosseum Combat and HRMMA bantamweight champion Jeremy “Ponyboy” Pender (17-14) on Saturday night at B2 Fighting Series 125.
“I’ve been waiting for a professional title my whole career,” Lemaire said in an interview with MMA Empire.
“I’ve had some amateur titles I’ve won, but there was always a new goal in my mind. And that new goal is where I’m at right now. I’m going to win that title, bring it home and hopefully get that call I’ve been waiting for.”
Bringing the brand new B2 Fighting Series bantamweight title back to his town of Timmins, Ont. would be a huge step in the career of Lemaire, but also a big achievement for the northern Ontario community as a whole.
“I’m super proud to be representing my hometown, and just the fact that we’re such a small tight knit community we support each other so well,” Lemaire said.
“Here it’s almost like a family and they support you the whole way. They all see the hard work I’ve put into it. The fact I get to put Timmins on the map in the MMA community and spread a positive vibe is a win in and of itself.”
Capturing the title won’t be an easy task as Pender is the definition of experience, so Lemaire, 32, will have his hands full on fight night.
Lemaire, however, will be looking to prove he’s on the way up, while Pender is on the way out.
“He’s obviously a veteran, he’s got 31 pro fights. That’s a lot of fights for anybody,” Lemaire said.
“I believe he’s had a lot of tough tests in his career, he’s won some titles. I think he’s going to be a great opponent to test myself against and to show everybody where I’m at and the level I’m on because I don’t think he’s there anymore. He might have been before, but I think he’s already reached his peak in MMA and he doesn’t have the same passion or fire that I have right now.”
The always-exciting Lemaire will be prepared for whatever comes his way on fight night, but he said there’s no doubt he feels he holds an advantage striking.
If he can keep the fight standing, Lemaire feels he shouldn’t run into many issues.
“For him, we really just looked at his game. He’s a strong jiu-jitsu player and he doesn’t mind pulling guard or going to his back. He kind of invites takedowns, he won’t try to fight them off,” Lemaire said.
“We’re not going to play into that game, we’re going to really try to stand and bang with him just to put the pressure on and make him feel the heat we have. And I want to display my muay thai for the world because a lot of the time people are trying to take me down or grapple. I want to demonstrate all the tools in my toolbox this time.”
The last time Lemaire made his way into a hostile crowd he left them speechless with a quick first round finish at HRMMA 117.
Lemaire will be looking to replicate that performance this Saturday and get another statement win.
“Yeah, that’s what I do. I go into enemy territory and I take out their hometown heroes,” Lemaire said.
“And you know what, if it was the other way around and they were coming to my hometown, I would welcome them with open arms because it doesn’t matter where I fight I’m going to put on a performance that nobody wants to miss.”
Lemaire’s Shoutouts
“Matthew Poulin and everyone at Total Martial Arts Centre, my girlfriend, friends and family, all my sponsors and the community that’s always supporting me.” Follow Lemaire on social media: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
