St. Catharines' Teshay Gouthro stands as one of Canada's premier bantamweight talents and he intends to maintain his upward trajectory.
The 28-year-old Gouthro (6-1) steps into the cage against Morgan Rhynes (5-5) during a bantamweight bout at Unified MMA 48 on Friday evening in Toronto, Ont.
Having inked a multi-fight agreement with Unified MMA, Gouthro revealed he was slated for a championship bout immediately upon joining the promotion, but that particular matchup failed to materialize.
"I can't speak freely about this, but apparently the word was that if Noah Ali passes on taking this fight once I handle Rhynes, they're planning to strip him," Gouthro told MMA Empire.
"All I want is a title shot. Find whoever you want and we'll compete for it. That's how I'd end up a Unified champion—that's my target."
Gouthro has steadily climbed the bantamweight ladder since turning pro, a rise that caught Rhynes' attention enough for him to publicly acknowledge Gouthro's standing in the division via social media.
Upon reviewing that post, Gouthro admitted the attention only sharpened his focus ahead of the matchup.
"He's clearly fired up, and a motivated fighter with nothing riding on the outcome is a scary opponent," Gouthro explained. "When I first accepted this bout, I wasn't overly driven—I figured I'd beat him anywhere, which I still believe I will. But it pushed me to put in extra work. It sparked something in me."
"I had it in my head I'd walk all over him. Then I read that post and I thought, OK, I need to absolutely dismantle him. On paper, I should be running the show. I should be ending this fight. It won't be easy, but I'm finishing him. That's the plan."
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