Top ten-ranked UFC Lightweight Myles ‘Fury’ Jury makes his featherweight debut this Saturday against Charles Oliveira at UFC on FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone.
Jury spoke exclusively to Bloody Elbow about his upcoming fight with ‘Do Bronx’, an opponent he sees as much more than just a submission fighter. “He’s very lengthy,” said Jury. “[He] knows how to use his long limbs on the ground and feet, fights for the finish and [he’s] very offensive. If he can’t get his range on the feet or a takedown, he’ll pull guard if needed. All around tough guy that brings a lot of threats to the table. Outside of his dangerous ground game, he has shown he can stand and bang with anyone. So it doesn’t matter where the fight is, I have to be able to beat him.”
Despite respecting his opponent’s all around game, Jury believes he holds a key advantage over the Brazilian. “This game, much like everything in life, is about timing,” said Jury. “You have to be the better-timed fighter at everything and that’s where I am the best.”
It’s been just shy of a year since Jury last competed in the Octagon. At UFC 182 on January 3rd, 2015 Jury suffered his first pro defeat, at the hands (and feet) of a surging Donald Cerrone.
“Well, it sucked,” said Jury of his loss to Saturday night’s championship challenger. “A loss is hard to deal with in many aspects and there was a few setbacks to follow, so it took some time to dig myself out. I am a much better person, much better fighter and feel a lot stronger. The loss put me in a s**tty spot, but I have put everything I have into making the most out of the situation and I’d say things are turning out for the best.”
Jury enters Saturday night’s fight bereft of an undefeated record, though he does not see this is a negative. “The undefeated record puts some pressure on you and makes you more of a target, but I can’t say it affected me too much.
“It just depends how you look at it and when I’m in camp, I look at it from an aspect that I am 0-0 and ready to earn the 1-0. Once I get back into camp, I reset and go back to 0-0.”
Now at 145lbs Jury claims to be in the best condition of his career, both physically and mentally. “I am on a different level,” said Jury. “My nutrition sucked at 155 and I had crap body fat. George Lockhart with FitnessVT.com got me on his system and that alone has changed a lot as your intake changes how you move, feel, think, literally everything. Not only that, I am getting the best training in my life since August now that I am full-time at Power MMA.
“So between the two of those areas along with the need to drop my weight, I am working a lot harder and much more efficiently. I feel much better at 145 and my team at Power MMA has made the last four months the best four months in the gym in my career.”
Now invested in the featherweight division, Jury’s attention is drawn to the new man on top, ‘The Notorious’ Conor Mcgregor. “I am not one to hate or talk negative about anyone,” said Jury. “It appears he’s worked very hard to get where he’s at, he’s been very outspoken and been a man of his words. There’s not much you can say bad about that. Plus, he’s bringing more attention to the division and I hope to fight him for the title sooner than later, so the more success he gets the better. I just hope he sticks around the division for a while.”
Earlier this year Jury made headlines for reasons outside of fighting. Shortly after the UFC’s Reebok deal was announced Jury went public with his discontent, going so far as to literally trash his Reebok gear on Twitter. UFC President Dana White was quick to comment on the incident stating, “We are going to make it right. We gotta fix it. So we’re going to get together with Reebok, we’re going to get together with Myles and we’re going to fix it.”
According to Jury, White did exactly as he stated. “We worked everything out,” said Jury. “I don’t have anything negative to Reebok or the uniform. I trust that Dana and Lorenzo [Fertitta] will continue leading us to the best direction possible.
“I would prefer not being on the low end of the tenure, so I guess I need to get busy racking up some wins and earn a title to change that. Change and evolving is life. It took some time evolving with the changes, and thankfully my team and I have, so I’m in a great spot and I like the direction I am headed with everything.”
Pressed on the action taking by White, Jury insists that the issue was handled both amicably and productively. “Dana definitely took a positive approach to get us all on the same page and was very supportive. He didn’t need to help and the way the media was blowing it up could have left me in a bad spot with him, so I have a lot of respect for Dana helping us all out and looking out for me while being very understanding. There is no reason to get into details because everything worked out good in the end.”
Jury, and his Reebok uniform, will be headlining the preliminary card this Saturday. ‘Fury’ is confident of not only securing victory this weekend, but of making his mark on his new division.
“I am pumped to get back in action, back on track and close the year off with another great win. I have done everything I could up to the fight and everything has worked out for the best, now I just need to close the deal. I am more than ready to get into the top ten with this win and work my way up the ladder. There’s a lot of fun and exciting fights in the top ten and I’m going to stay busy in 2016.”