Ty Wilson couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to prove he’s ready to take the next step.
Canada’s Wilson (6-3) will take on the United States’ Jose Johnson (11-6) in a bantamweight matchup scheduled for the main event slot of SHP 57 in Northport, Ala. on Saturday night.
While Johnson is coming off his stint on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) this summer, Wilson, 28, said he hopes a win over Johnson will earn him a chance to fight for a UFC contract before the year is out.
“I know the Contender Series is back now in November, but I’m not 100 per cent sure how long they’re staying for. I think if I can get a win quickly, and with no injuries, maybe I can get on near the end of the Contender Series run,” said Wilson in an interview with MMA Empire.
“I think beating someone coming off the Contender Series is a pretty good win.”
Wilson’s last outing in the cage was a unanimous decision loss to Matthew DiMarcantonio at BTC 8 back in Nov. 2019
Despite the loss, Wilson said he learned a valuable lesson from the fight in that he can’t focus solely on one game-plan heading into fight night.
“For that fight, I was kind of still stuck on one game-plan, and I never thought of a B or C plan. It was just go for it, go for it, go for it,” said Wilson.
“For this one, it’s just about getting more options, more tools, more ways to get the fight to the floor, and more ways to land strikes on the feet. I need to open things up a little more than I was before.”
Wilson prepared fro Johnson’s flashy striking
Wilson will be up against an opponent in Johnson who has proven to be a dangerous striker, with seven of his 11 career wins coming via knockout.
After watching several of his most recent fights, Wilson said it’s no secret as to what Johnson will be trying to do once the cage door closes.
“He’s a tall striker, and it’s pretty obvious what both of us are going to want to do,” said Wilson
“He’s going to be trying to strike and I’m going to try and get it down. His grappling is pretty suspect.”
For the bantamweight division, Johnson is significantly taller and longer than the majority of fighters in the division, standing 6’0″ and holding a 74-inch reach.
But when it comes to approaching a fighter like Johnson, Wilson said it’s not so much the height and reach that he’s focused on, it’s not letting Johnson get on a roll.
“It’s more than just his height and reach, it’s the way he fights. You can’t let him build and can’t let him get going because once he gets going, that’s how he gets all those highlight-reel knockouts,” said Wilson.
“I just have to stay on him, keep the pressure on, and push him back.”
Wilson’s Shoutouts
“I’d like to thank Tristar Gym, Hayabusa, Janus Sports, ESS Fight, Bubba’s Pizzeria, ESS Fight, Absolute Accuracy Tiling App, and Kaufman Homes, Sharon Wilson Re/Max.” Follow Wilson on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
