Backed by the hometown Fort McMurray crowd, Thomas Deneve heads to the Casman Centre this Friday night hoping to stay perfect.
Deneve (2-0) is set to defend his unbeaten mark in an amateur lightweight matchup against Scott Bouchard (2-1) at Prestige FC 10, traveling from Ste. Rose du Lac, MB to face him.
The fight marks Deneve's second consecutive appearance in Fort McMurray, and he admitted the local support gives him a real lift.
"It definitely helps me out," Deneve told reporters.
"It can really weigh on some fighters mentally."
Deneve's last outing at Prestige FC 9 ended in a swift 25-second TKO win over Daniel Kobsar, following a 30-second knockout in his amateur debut.
Even though Deneve has dispatched his previous foes quickly, the 22-year-old insists he's not trying to rush in for the kill.
"I pay attention to my opponents, and I think I pick them apart pretty well," Deneve explained.
"When I sense my opponent is hurt or stunned, I press forward. I won't step back and give them room to regroup."
With his two wins coming in just 55 seconds combined, Deneve credited his rapid success to reading and reacting to his opponent's responses.
He doesn't anticipate another lightning-fast finish, but he's confident this bout won't reach the judges' scorecards.
"I won't claim I'm wrapping it up in under 30 seconds, and I won't guarantee a first-round finish, but I can tell you it's not going to go to the cards. I don't let my fights go to a decision," Deneve declared.
"Either I'm getting knocked out, or I'm knocking someone out."
Bouchard Hunting First Career Finish
Bouchard, 25, shares the same number of wins as Deneve, but he's still searching for his first stoppage victory.
Both of Bouchard's triumphs have come by unanimous decision, yet he's determined to change course Friday night.
"Since both of his fights wrapped up quickly, I figure he's going to come out firing," Bouchard observed during an interview.
"If he does, I can take advantage. A finish would be great."
While Bouchard hopes to secure his first stoppage, he acknowledges he holds a significant edge in experience.
Bouchard has logged over 19 minutes inside the cage across his three amateur outings, almost 20 times what Deneve has seen.
"I don't anticipate it ending early. I always plan for it to go the full nine minutes," Bouchard said.
"If we get there, I've handled that before, but it's an unfamiliar situation for him."
All three of Bouchard's previous fights took place at featherweight.
He noted that stepping down to 155 pounds will let him avoid the harsh weight cuts of earlier bouts, leaving him feeling fresher than he did at 145 pounds.
"My coach thought this was a solid matchup," Bouchard shared.
"I trust him, so if he tells me I can handle it, I'll deliver."
Deneve's Shoutouts
"I want to thank everyone at my gym, Sweet Science, plus my family and close friends. I'd also like to thank my sponsors Sangsters and Fort McMurray Autobody. And I appreciate the Fort McMurray community for standing behind me."
Bouchard's Shoutouts
"I can't stress enough how much I love this gym (Queen City Martials Arts). It's just on another level. Big shoutout to my training partners: Sam, who's also on this card, Danny, Sean, Hajar, and Duane Ludwig."
