When you combine those experiences with the immense gratitude and sense of calm he feels heading into the weekend, it creates a scenario for Elekana where he believes he’ll be able to showcase his talents and shock the world by getting the better of Guskov on Saturday evening.
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“I’m just filled with gratitude right now,” he began. “I’m fighting the No. 13 guy in the world. I have nothing to lose — nothing to lose. I’m gonna go in and feel completely relaxed, completely loose, as I always am, and I am going to find a way to win this fight.
“It’s just being focused,” answered Elekana when asked about not approaching the weekend with a “just happy to be here” mentality. “I’ve been doing MMA for eight or nine years, so this is nothing new.
“Yes, it’s the biggest promotion in the world, but it’s nothing new, though; a fight is a fight at the end of the day. His mentality versus my mentality. His hard work versus my hard work; that’s all it comes down to. I know he’s a scary guy, but I’m a big Samoan; I can take a punch. The fight is gonna happen how the fight happens.