UFC 312: West Australian UFC fighter Cody Haddon to fight Georgian battler Aleksandre Topuria, brother of Ilia

Burgeoning West Australian UFC fighter Cody Haddon says he has always been destined for the octagon and warned fans to expect “fireworks” in his bout with Georgian battler Aleksandre Topuria. The fight - which will pit Haddon (8-1-0) against the brother of Georgian history-maker and Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria on the blockbuster UFC 312 card in Sydney featuring the mouthwatering Dricus Du Plessis-Sean Strickland rematch - was revealed on Friday. After earning a convincing win over seasoned fighter Dan Argueta on UFC debut in October, everything changed for Haddon, the dream he’d worked towards since the age of six finally coming to fruition. But the 26-year-old knows this is just the beginning, telling The West Australian he was born to fight and wanted to earn a crack at the big time. “It’s come soon. I’ve had my debut, and a second fight on home soil is mind-blowing, really. I’m just glad they could get us a match-up,” Haddon said. “Everything happens for a reason, and my time has now come. I’m still in awe, but this is just the beginning. “It is my destiny; it is what I was put on this planet to do. I’ve never been good at anything else in my life, so fighting is it for me. I’m just grateful I’ve been given the opportunity and that I’ve seized it. I feel like my whole life’s work hasn’t gone to waste. “And none of this is possible without the fans. So, if you tune into my fight, it will always be fireworks, no matter what. I’m looking to take my opponent out in any way possible.” There will be plenty of added pressure on the West Aussie this time around, with Topuria (5-1-0) sure to bring the full weight of his name to bear. However, Haddon says he won’t let the noise interrupt his preparation. “It’s extra pressure because of who I’m fighting as well,” he admitted. “I never feel truly comfortable because, at the end of the day, it’s a fight, and you’re both going to try and kill each other, and you just hope you can do your best. “But, to be honest, I just try to focus on myself. You can get caught up in your thoughts a lot of the time and think it’s so and so’s brother, and it’s this and that. Yeah, it is all those things, but you can only control what you’re doing. “You can’t control what your opponent is going to do, you can’t focus on them too much, it’s just a losing battle. Nothing changes in preparation. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “But I do feel like a win over Aleksandre Topuria will skyrocket my stock.” Haddon even went as far as to reveal he took that mindset into the octagon, saying he was always prepared for the worst to ensure he could handle any swing of the fates. “I always think in my mind ‘, this is going to be the hardest thing ever’, and when I get the job done, and it’s not as hard as I thought, I think ‘, Oh wow’,” he said. “Whereas I think some other fighters think ‘, I’m going to smash this guy’, and then when they’re faced with a bit of adversity, they think ‘, hang on, this isn’t as easy as I thought’. “So, I’m always preparing for the absolute hardest thing possible and come to terms with that. Then, when I’m in there, it comes as no surprise. “Everyone poses a threat. They’ve all got strength in certain areas, or guys are good everywhere. So, the goal is just to try to be better than these guys in every area.”

UFC 312: West Australian UFC fighter Cody Haddon to fight Georgian battler Aleksandre Topuria, brother of Ilia

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