Jack Marshman is hoping for a Goldilocks moment
It's not often you get the chance to reference Goldilocks and the Three Bears in a discussion with a cage fighter but given Jack Marshman's current conundrum, it's not hard to understand why he's looking for that "just right" zone.
Welshman Marshman is not looking beyond his upcoming fight, which just so happens to represent the biggest of his career to date both in terms of importance and audience, but he can't help but pay attention to the rumblings of some new weight classes in the UFC.
'The Hammer' is preparing for a clash with Karl Roberson on the main card of UFC 230 this weekend, when he will get the chance to get back in the win column at Madison Square Garden.
Marshman, who joined the army at 17, won't have any problems making 185 lbs on Friday, which will come as a relief to the 28-year-old following his failed attempt at dipping his toes in the welterweight waters earlier this year.
In March, Marshman was pulled from the UFC's London card due to complications stemming from his cut to 170lbs and he has admitted that it was a bridge too far.
"To be honest, I think welterweight is just a touch too far me but I got really, really close," Marshman told JOE.
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"My body couldn't take it. If they introduce these new divisions, the one between welterweight and middleweight, that'd be perfect for my body type.
"I make middleweight with ease but I don't see how I could possibly make welterweight. But if there was a 175lbs division or whatever would bridge the gap, that's ideal for me.
"More weight classes hasn't been an issue for boxing, has it? There's 15lbs between welterweight and middleweight in MMA. That's too much."
Marshman has gone 2-2 in the UFC since his 2016 debut and the former Cage Warriors middleweight champion feels like he will be knocking on the door of a ranking with a couple of impressive performances.
"I just want to get back on a win streak," he said. "I just have to push really hard and get into the top 15 with a big 2019.
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"If you look at some of the guys I fought, any guy who beat me was ranked so with a good win in New York and a good win at the start of 2019, it wouldn't surprise me if I was close to being ranked."
While Marshman would welcome the opportunity to exact revenge against the pair of fighters who got the better of him in the Octagon - Thiago Santos and Antonio Carlos Junior - the Welshman is primarily focused on moving forward as a mixed martial artist.
At 28, Marshman still has plenty of years left in him and a lot to accomplish but he remains hopeful of one dream outing in Cardiff's Principality Stadium before hanging up his gloves.
He said: "I don't worry too much about weights. If they made more divisions then it'd be great but I've not given a second thought to who might be ranked at 175lbs or whatever. I'm flat out concentrated on this fight.
"Madison Square Garden on Saturday night is pretty crazy!
"I haven't got a dream opponent but I do have a fantasy location and that's to fight once in the Millennium Stadium.
"Wales is in a tough spot because of the size of the stadium, it'd take some selling out. You could either do a fight night event at an arena or a massive pay-per-view in the Millennium but that's the dream."
