UFC Vancouver | Uriah Hall outlines path to victory against Antonio Carlos Junior

By Cole Shelton - September 10, 2019

Uriah Hall will make his first walk to the Octagon of 2019 at UFC Vancouver. He will do so with a new coach, Sayif Saud, after switching to Fortis MMA.

Uriah Hall, UFC Vancouver, Darren Till, UFC Vegas 12

The reason Hall decided to switch camps coming off a win is simple. He fell in love with the camp right when he walked in.

“I went down there to kind of check it out. I was in Dallas for a week so wanted to try something new and heard good things about it. When I went there I fell in love with it,” Hall told BJPENN.com. “They are animals and I love it. I have been to a bunch of gyms, it is all about the atmosphere. Any place you go to, you want to feel welcome. It is family there, we all root for each other and help each other.”

After his first camp at Fortis, he is ready for his fight against Antonio Carlos Jr. Currently, the Brazilian is ranked above him. So Hall knows this fight could propel him up the middleweight ranks.

“It is just a stepping stone. He is in front of me, and in order to get to the top, I need to take him out,” he explained. “That is the game plan, just climb the rankings.”

Hall believes that to win this fight, he needs to keep the action on the feet. He knows he is a better striker than his foe, and if he can stuff the takedowns he has a clear path to victory. Yet he says the game plan may change after he steps into the Octagon.

“Just move my feet and keep it standing, I have been doing it my entire life,” he said. “When you go out there, the game plan can go out the window. Just the main thing is to stay on task. Just go out there and have fun and take him out.”

Although Uriah Hall has been in the UFC since 2013, he says since going to Fortis he feels like a new fighter. As well, he has had to learn how to adjust to a new coach which he says is no problem.

“Absolutely. You are always a student to the game. I’m always open to learning new things, and just getting experience and getting better,” Hall said. “It is all about having an open mind. I’m good with structure and I’m in a very structured environment. That is it, I have no problem being professional.”

In the end, Uriah Hall is confident he has what it takes to get his hand raised and start his rise up the middleweight ranks.

“The game plan is to win. When you step into the Octagon you step in there to win,” Hall concluded. “It goes back to the surrounding. I don’t want to add any pressure, so I don’t focus on anything but winning.”

Who do you think will win the fight between Uriah Hall and Antonio Carlos Jr. at UFC Vancouver?

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This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/10/2019.


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Antonio Carlos Junior Exclusive MMA Interviews UFC Uriah Hall