LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag] admits he feels a little out of place fighting on the UFC 306 main card.
Osbourne (12-7 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is tasked with opening the main card of Noche UFC at Sphere on Saturday (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) in a flyweight clash with Ronaldo Rodriguez (16-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
With UFC CEO Dana White long touting the historic event as a legendary night for combat sports, some fans expected the fight card to be deeper and more star-studded. So when Osbourne’s matchup with Rodriguez got prominent placement, even he was a slightly caught off guard.
“It almost feels like a high school experience where you get invited to the cool party and you’re kind of the nerd and people are like, ‘What’s he doing here?,'” Osbourne told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC 306 media day on Wednesday.
Osbourne, who is a Las Vegas resident, said it’s strange to be in “enemy territory” in a sense with the Mexican theme around Noche UFC. However, he is not unfamiliar with these types of scenarios. He’s fought on marquee cards before against more proven competition, so he’s not going to get flustered by the experience.
“Everybody has been asking me that, ‘What are the emotions?’ There really isn’t none, honestly,” Osbourne said. “This is my 10th fight in the octagon. Madison Square Garden, (Kamaru) Usman vs. (Colby) Covington, I fought on ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone vs. (Conor) McGregor. I’ve fought in Houston. I’ve fought on some great cards. UFC has blessed me with some great opportunities. So I’m pretty used to this personally. In that way there’s no emotions there.”
Despite his self-deprecating demeanor about his main card position, Osbourne, 32, said he fully understands the significance of this opportunity. He plans to shine with a ton of eyes watching, and thinks Rodriguez, whom he shares something of a history with, is an ideal dance partner.
“I sparred him actually at Xtreme (Couture) about three weeks before we got announced to fight,” Osbourne said. “As a professional I messaged him and I was like, ‘Hey man, I got a call that they want me to fight you, and I’m sure you got the same call as well. What do you think? Do you want to take it? Whatever you decide I respect.’ He was like, ‘I think it would be a great opportunity for the both of us.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do it. Thank you.’ I got nothing but love and respect for ‘Lazy Boy’ to be honest. He’s a cool dude.”
[lawrence-related id=2769880,2769370,2769651]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.