Fresh after winning the title with Palace Fighting, Runez is looking to add another (photo courtesy of FuryFotos.com).
For Pat Runez, finding a fight can prove almost as difficult as winning one. Runez is a flyweight, where top U.S. fighters and shows willing to promote the weight class are hard to come by.
“I know there’s tough guys out there. You just have to go find them,” he told MMAMadness.com. “There’s not really many shows marketing that weight class, so it’s more about where the fighters [are] at [and] where can I get on a show.”
Runez has found one such opponent. This Saturday at UWC 7, the fighter will take on John “the Magician” Dodson for the UWC flyweight world championship. “I think Dodson’s going to come out pretty explosive at me,” he said. “That’s his best bet is to come out firing. I’m just ready for anything.”
One thing Runez won’t contend with on Saturday is championship nerves. The flyweight already captured the PFC world championship, and he says that he goes about training the same for every bout. “It’s the same preparation, you just prepare, you ready for it,” he said. “If you’re having fear, you probably shouldn’t be there.”
Despite the lack of nerves, Runez is fully aware of just how important this fight is. Not only is it a chance to add another title to his collection, but also a chance to prove that he is one of the top flyweights in the country. “This fight’s real crucial in that regard, because we’re on the cutting edge, leading here in the states,” Runez said. “In order to get in the top rankings, you have to face someone who is higher than you.”
One option Runez does have is to fight in Japan, where smaller fighters are more prevalent. While the flyweight is eager to test himself against the best, he prefers to do so on familiar soil. “Hopefully we can get some big promotions to promote here because I don’t really want to go over to Japan,” the 125-pounder said. “I’d rather have them fly over here and be in my own country verses having to fight where the refs are speaking Japanese.”
But that’s all hypothetical talk. For now, Runez is focused on capturing the UWC flyweight title this weekend and climbing one spot closer to that top rank.
