Rashad Coulter plans to “derail” Viddal Riley’s career with KO win and earn his ticket back to the UFC

Rashad Coulter believes he is being brought in to lose this weekend.

On the main card of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr., former UFC heavyweight Rashad Coulter is taking on one of boxing’s brightest prospects in Viddal Riley. The Englishman is signed to Mayweather promotions and was the head coach of KSI for his fight against Logan Paul, so Coulter knows the boxing world wants Riley to be a star.

“Of course man. They took this fight quickly. As soon as I got the phone call to offer me the fight, they had already accepted. They saw I haven’t boxed in a long time, and they think this is a good fight for him as I am older,” Coulter said to BJPENN.com. “In all reality, I have been training with high-level people for 10 years now and I’m prepared.

“Everyone thinks I’m 1-0 in boxing but the truth is, I’m 4-0 in boxing. The last boxing fight I had was in 2016 just before I signed to the UFC and he was a two-time national champion and I knocked him out in the first round,” he continued. “To me, that doesn’t mean anything. What matters is your heart. It will come down to who wants it more and I feel like he hasn’t been pushed and I will push him.”

Although Coulter doesn’t have the most boxing experience, he did fight four times in the UFC.

The 38-year-old is also used to fighting five-minute rounds. So, now fighting three-minute rounds, he believes he will be able to push a high-pace and be more explosive.

“I think it will be a huge advantage because I am used to going five-minute rounds. In boxing, it is all standup and I don’t have to worry about the takedowns,” Coulter said. “Wrestling and jiu-jitsu are what get you tired and because I don’t have to worry about that, I think it will help me out tremendously. I will be extremely strong and explosive.”

Ultimately, Rashad Coulter remains confident in his skill set that he will derail the hype and career of Riley on Saturday night. He also enters this fight with no pressure on him and knows a win would be massive for his career.

“For him, it will not be a good look. For me, it opens up more boxing doors and in MMA, it could open up bigger MMA fights like me even going back to the UFC. He has to beat me, there are no two ways about it. He has to beat me and he has to finish me,” Coulter explained. “They are looking at it as I am an MMA guy and if he doesn’t stop me that looks bad on him and the boxing world. That might just derail his whole career. That is not a knock on him, that is how the sport of boxing goes.

“Even if it is a close fight between us, that still opens up doors for me,” Coulter continued. “Then, when I beat him, it will only up more doors for me. But, will boxing do right by me? I doubt it. They won’t try to build me, they will put me in there against up and comers.

In the end, Rashad Coulter is confident he will knock out Viddal Riley and set himself up to earn his way back into the UFC.

It is a big platform for me. My heart is always in MMA, the UFC is a great promotion and I would love to be back in the UFC,” Rashad Coulter concluded. “There are several fights at 205 I want in the UFC. If I go finish Viddal, it will open more doors in MMA.”

Do you think Rashad Coulter will pull off the upset and KO Viddal Riley?