Croydon’s Jimi Manuwa may speak eloquently and precisely when interviewed, but put him in a cage and he is not a man to be messed with.
The light-heavyweight fighter from Croydon has fought 13 mixed martial arts (MMA) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fights and won all of them.
Even more impressive is the fact that 10 of those wins came with a first-round knockout. He is not a man you want to make angry.
“It’s just the way I fight,” said the 33-year-old. “When I hit people, they tend to collapse.
“I’m happy with my record and I would like to continue it.”
Next up to brave the might of Manuwa is Canadian Ryan Jimmo, who takes on the challenge in UFC Fight Night 30 at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester this Saturday.
It will be Manuwa’s third fight in the UFC, having previously competed in Ultimate Challenge Mixed Martial Arts and British Association of Mixed Martial Arts programmes.
“I am looking forward to letting it all out in the cage,” said Manuwa.
“Ryan is an excellent fighter who has only had two losses in 20 fights and I respect him a lot. He is a good technician and I look forward to fighting him.
“Training has been going well and I cannot wait to showcase my stuff on what is a great show.”
Despite his undefeated record, Manuwa is ranked 22nd in the UFC rankings, with Jimmo at 16, but he his sights set on climbing all the way to the top.
“I’m not in a rush to fight top five or top 10 opponents, I’m still learning,” he said.
Fighter: Jimi Manuwa is unbeaten in 13 fights
“I am working toward the UFC title though, it is only a matter of time before I stop all my opponents and I am fighting for the belt.
“I know it will be within the next couple of years.”
Manuwa was a late comer to mixed martial arts having had a troubled youth that saw him spend time in prison for burglary.
But he learned from his mistakes and a few years ago set up the Lions Pride MMA Gym in Croydon as a way to help keep youngsters on the straight and narrow.
“The gym is going well, we have a lot of fighters and a lot of kids coming down to train,” he added.
“I pass on all my knowledge to them and I am happy teaching and learning off them as well.
“It is one big family and it is good to be able to inspire others.
“I have said before that if I had found MMA as a kid I could be a lot further down the line than I am now.”
Tickets for UFC Fight Night Manchester on Saturday, Oct 26 are available from ticketmaster.co.uk and phones4uarena.co.uk.
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