UFC newcomer Billy Goff faces Yusaku Kinoshita in his long-awaited UFC debut this weekend in Singapore.
The 25-year-old earned his UFC contract with a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. However, a knee injury has delayed his first octagon appearance until now when he faces Kinoshita on a card filled with Asian talent – with The Korean Zombie headlining.
Goff analysed his opponent, a fellow DWCS alumni, in an exclusive interview with Combat Sports UK.
He said: “He’s good, he had a really nice knockout on the Contender Series. He’s a good striker, he likes to come forward, he likes to push the pace and he’s young, hungry, coming off a loss so he really wants to get that one back.
“I haven’t seen too much of his grappling, in his last fight it didn’t look like he had the best base of grappling. But, you never know, it’s just one fight and he’s had a while to work on it. So, I’m prepared to step in there with a great wrestler, a great jiu-jitsu player.
“He likes to push forward, I like to push forward and it’s just gonna be a matter of who comes out on top when we crash in the middle.”
Goff also went on to list where he believes his advantages lie over the Japanese fighter.
He continued: “I think my striking’s better, I think my grappling’s better, I think my cardio is better, I think I’ve fought better guys and, of course, I think I want it more.
“You never know, everybody in the UFC wants to be a champion, at least most of them. Especially the younger guys, they have a dream they’re chasing – so we’re gonna see who’s the better guy that night.”
Goff on His Fightng Plans For the Rest of 2023
Since making his professional debut in 2019, the American has been very active. He notched a record of 8-2 before the knee injury halted his progress.
Nonetheless, Goff wants to make up for lost time by staying active following his bout in Singapore.
Goff discussed his potential roadmap post-Singapore and whether he wants to fight again before the end of the year.
He said: “That’s the goal. Hopefully, we get a quick, easy first-round finish and we can turn around and get on the November card at Madison Square Garden, that’s the goal.”
Billy Goff Full Exclusive Interview
You can watch the full interview with Goff below:
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Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
