High expectations for Held ahead of UFC debut

Marcin Held is one of most highly anticipated UFC debuts in a long time for the hardcore MMA fanbase. The Tychy, Poland native brings an aggressive submission game that has led to six submission victories via leg lock alone. Although just 24, Held has honed his game during eight years as a professional fighter.

The only loss in his last seven fights was to ‘Ill’ Will Brooks, who also recently signed with the UFC.

On Saturday night he fights Diego Sanchez in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 98 in Mexico City, Mexico. So that’s a co-main, vs. Diego Sanchez, at 7,000′ elevation, in his UFC debut. Expectations are a mile high.

Sanchez employs a highly aggressive style that requires a lot of oxygen, something in short supply in Mexico City. By contrast, Held can drop and use his grappling skills to catch his breath as necessary. But he isn’t planning on needing too – Held has been training at elevation for three weeks.

It was one of the factors that could make the difference in the bout, said Held to Thomas Gerbasi for UFC.com. I had to make sure my body would be in a proper shape. The beginning was difficult, but now I feel as if I were at home.

I always wanted to fight the best fighters in the world, and the UFC has been my target from the beginning of my MMA career. I fell in love with MMA when I was 16, and it makes me happy and proud when I see Polish fighters getting better and better.

He is a very tough fighter, and I have to be careful not to exchange punches with him where he is most dangerous. But I don’t feel nervous; I’m a professional fighter and it doesn’t make me more nervous than usual.”

Now, I hope I will surprise the fans, and the only expectations they should have is a lot of unexpected finishes and exciting moments.