He was looking forward to a big battle with Vemola, now he wishes him a happy retirement. I want to knock Poppeck out, says Jeremy Kimball

Jeremy Kimball has another game ahead of him and with it not just one, but two big challenges. In the first row he has to deal with the weight, in the second row he has a tough opponent in Alexander Poppeck. He spoke briefly about both in an interview with Ruik.

The American Grizzly returns to the Octagon and not only that. He’s got one more big comeback coming up. To the welterweight division. He last fought in the under 93kg division in a rematch with Milos Petrasek in March 2019. He hasn’t fought in that division since.

To make matters worse, he has Jeremy Kimball in front of him in the form of a man who was close to a title shot. Alexander Poppeck, however, was no match for Pavol Langer in the fight of his life so far, and not only did he not win the interim title, he didn’t even get to fight Karlos Vemola.

It was Vemola, by the way, that the UFC veteran has challenged in the past. He was hungry for a fight with him. Now it’s all but certain he won’t get it. The Terminator retires this summer in the Century Rematch with Attila Vegh.

“Karlos has had a great career. It would have been fantastic to be able to face him in a fight, but I wish him nothing but the best for his retirement. He deserves it. He dragged the Octagon for a long time,” Jeremy Kimball let slip in an interview with Ruik.

With weight struggles, Jeremy Kimball is looking forward to Poppeck

Jeremy Kimball will fight Alexander Poppeck at the OKTAGON 55 gala. “I’m looking forward to testing my skills against him. But I honestly can’t wait to make weight,” he revealed.

“I’m in good shape, my preparation has been going well, I just had to start it off a little differently to get through the camp. As far as making weight, I’m close to making it. I feel confident and comfortable,” Grizzly reports.

As for his German opponent, he has mostly words of praise for him: “He’s a great fighter. It will be a great challenge for both of us. He is a complex fighter, he is good in all aspects of the fight. I think we should live up to the status of our fight on the card.”

However, he sees the path to victory clearly. “The best way is to deliver a knockout as soon as possible. I’m prepared for all possible scenarios,” says the UFC veteran. And the prediction? “I’m going to put my hand up,” he’s clear.

Then he doesn’t think too much about his future. “I don’t care what’s next. I’m just going to focus on this fight and see what happens after that,” Jeremy Kimball concluded the interview.

Source: Oktagon MMA, Ruik