And all the 26-year-old Sidey has done is continue to establish himself as another of the nation’s top prospects by claiming the BFL bantamweight title with a first-round submission win, successfully defending it twice, and adding another title to his collection earlier this month with a first-round finish of former WEC and UFC competitor Walel Watson to move to 8-1 overall.
Now, Vogel gets another chance to prove himself when he steps in with the 36-year-old veteran Brokenshire at BFL 76.
“These are the fights I’m thankful for and I’m actually hunting these m*****f***** down, guys like Drew,” said Vogel, the tenor of his voice changing, the pace of his speech quickening. “I want guys that have been pushed and been at that next level. “Drew has beaten guys who were in the UFC and has 26 fights; he’s been at this since 2006, since I was 10 years old.
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“I’m chasing these fighters,” he continued. “For the longest time I was quite bitter that nobody wanted to fight me. I was one of the toughest guys to line up in Canada for a while, and it’s only now that I’ve been getting a string of fights. It’s been guys like Drew that I’m looking for. I’m not looking for anybody low level that sucks — I want somebody high level that can show that I’m ready for the UFC and be there to stay.”
Inspired by the recent efforts of fellow Ontario products like Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius, the surging champion from the Canadian capital sees himself as the next fighter to matriculate from Battlefield Fight League to the biggest stage in the sport, and believes a standout effort against Brokenshire on Thursday could play a big part in helping him accomplish that goal.
“This is a showcase opportunity,” he said plainly, clearly aware of the opportunity before him. “Last fight, I went in there to show off my Muay Thai, and this fight, I’m looking to go in there and display my full MMA skill set.
“This is a chance for me to show off, and I’m really grateful for that opportunity.”