Hex Fight Series will return this Friday when they return with 2 title fights. The light heavyweight title is going to be on the line when undefeated 3-0 prospect Navajo Stirling goes for the belt. Stirling will be taking on PFL veteran Sam Kei in the main event. However, before that Justin Van Heerden will be taking on George Mangos for the Hex Featherweight title.
Before his upcoming title fight against George Mangos, Combat Sports UK was able to speak to Justin Van Heerden. Combat Sports UK was able to talk about how his preparation is going as well as talking about how he handles the pressure of fighting.
Justin Van Heerden Last Fight against Michael Barber
Justin Van Heerden was able to extend his winning streak to 6 victories when he entered the cage last time out against Michael Barber. Van Heerden was able to do this when he was able to get the unanimous decision victory. I was able to ask Justin Van Heerden how he thought the fight went and what he has gone on to improve on going into this fight. Justin responded by saying;
“At first I was unhappy with how it went, I wanted a finish, but after watching it I was happy outside of the first 2 mins in round 2 it was a shutout and dominant win. What I took out of it was managing my need for a finish with urgency of sticking to a game plan.”
Justin wanted to be able to get the stoppage during that fight however, it wasn’t meant to be. Despite not being able to get the stoppage he was able to get the victory to extend the streak. However, after rewatching this fight Justin was happy with his performance outside of the first two minutes. However, he has learned that he needs to be patient and to let the finish come to him. Justin has learned to improve by sticking to the game plan more than just going out to get the stoppage. He has learned about how to get the correct balance and he will be looking to show this in the title fight coming up.
Has Clinching the Eternal MMA Featherweight Title Eased Any Pressure Ahead of This Fight
Justin Van Heerden has already been able to go out and clinch a title already in his career. This was when he was able to get a unanimous decision victory against Diego Pereira. Justin was able to go out there and get the victory to be able to clinch the Eternal MMA featherweight title. This being the case he has already experienced what it feels like to walk out there to compete for a title and try and become the champion. This experience may help him come into this fight as he will know how to handle the pressure. Explaining if this is the case, Justin revealed;
“Yeah my goal was to win a Australian title then a world title I’ve ticked the first one off the list so fighting for the Hex belt is nothing but a bonus I get for winning. I don’t really think about it.”
This shows that this fight on Friday is just a bonus for Justin. This is because he has already been able to win an Australian title before. However, despite this being the case he will still be taking this fight seriously. This is because being able to clinch another title will help him be able to get himself into the UFC. Justin knows what to expect this week due to having to go through this all before under Eternal MMA and will be more prepared than he was last time out.
Being the More Experienced Fighter
Not only is Justin going into this fight being the more experienced fighter in terms of title opportunities. However, he is also coming in being the more experienced fighter overall. Throughout his career, Justin has been able to fight professionally 18 times being able to get the record of 13-5. This is 15 more fights than George Mangos who has only been able to compete professionally 3 times. Despite not having much fighting experience he has been able to get a 3-0 record getting this title opportunity. Speaking to Justin I asked him if he thought having this experience over George will play a role in getting the victory. Justin explained by saying;
“I think my experience will play a factor for sure, the more fights you have the more comfortable you feel in there. I’ve experienced everything you can inside that cage. I’ve dealt with adversity and had to push through. So I think that for sure will play a factor.”
This shows that Justin has been able to deal with adversity in fights and has been able to overcome this. This can only happen in the cage and can’t happen unless you are in a fight so can’t be prepared. Justin Van Heerden knows being able to experience this will play a role in this fight as if Justin can put George in a dangerous position then it will be uncharted territory for Mangos.
Justin Van Heerden on Training Camp
To be able to have a good fight you need to be able to have a good training camp behind you. This is because this is where the fighters are coming up with the game plan to get the victory. They are also able to improve on areas where they need to improve. As well as focusing on areas where the opponent may be struggling. During the fight camp fighters will be able to work on how to control the fight. This can include being able to get the fighter on the ground. This can be vital as fighters may also pick up some injuries during fight camp which would result in them coming into their fight not 100%. Speaking about how his training camp has gone Justin explained;
“Training camp has been great I was back in the gym straight back into camp right off the back of my fight on May 4th. I feel good, bo dy is good. No injuries! Well and truely prepped for 25 minutes if need be.”
Justin Van Heerden is coming into this fight with perfect health and being able to have the perfect plan. Since his last victory against Michael Barber Justin has kept busy. This is because he has been able to keep himself in the gym to keep improving on his ability. He will be looking forward to showing off all the work he has been able to put in. He can take the fight into the championship rounds if needed. Once there if George is getting tired then Justin will be able to get the victory. However, even if George isn’t tired the work Justin has been able to do should be enough to get him over the finishing line.
Game Plan
I was also able to try and find out what he has learned about George Mangos going into this fight. Every fighter will enter the cage with a plan of action on how to get the victory. They do this by watching the tape of the opponent to be able to find the weaknesses of their opponents. Explaining what he has found out about George Mangos Justin explained;
“I’m blessed to have excellent coaches in Joe Lopez and Alex Volkanovski. We have identified what we can capitalise on and will be planning to do so across every area in this fight.”
This shows that Justin has the very best in his corner. This even includes the former UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski. This team will have sat down together to be able to analyse the best possible game plan and find the path to victory. Alex Volkanovski was able to defeat Max Holloway not only once but 3 times. Max Holloway had been labelled as unbeatable however, Volkanovski was able to go out and get the job done. This shows that not only does ability matter which is what Justin Van Heerden has but the game plan also plays a factor as if you come in with the wrong game plan you may be playing into your opponent’s hands.
Handling the Pressure from Fans
Fans can put a lot of pressure on fighters to try and go out and get the highlight reel finish. Just like what happened at UFC 300. Max Holloway was able to get a highlight reel stoppage against Justin Gathje. This being the case this can cause a lot of pressure on fighters as they may try and prioritise the finish. Due to this they may get caught instead of sticking to the game plan. Speaking about how he handles the pressure Justin Van Heerden explained;
“My standards for myself and my teams standards for me are already so high, I put pressure and expectations on myself. So anything from outside that doesn’t matter or add to that for me it’s all noise.”
Justin Van Heerden explained that it doesn’t matter what the fans are wanting from him as he already expects very high things from himself. This being the case whatever the noise is from the fans doesn’t matter as he is what him and his coaches are looking for which matters the most.
Justin Van Heerden’s Future Plans
With a win against George Mangos, this will increase Justin Van Heerden’s win streak to 7 victories. Justin will not only have the 7 win streak but will also be a title holder which could prove to be the final thing he is needing before a call from Dana White. I was able to ask Justin Van Heerden if he thought this victory would warrant an opportunity in the UFC or on the Contenders Series. Explaining what he thought Justin explained;
“I am gonna go out there and do what I have been doing. I well and truely believe with another win. Regionally I have paid my dues and earned a chance to fight the best people in the world alongside my teammates that are already in the UFC.”
Justin believes that with a victory against Mangos then that should be him before he is able to fight in the UFC. Van Heerden has seen many of his team-mates fight in the UFC and now believes it is his turn to have an opportunity. A victory will definitely help him to be able to get the opportunity to fight in the UFC.
Featured image credits to Embedded from Eternal MMA