Ville Vanhanen (2-4) is out, and Mikko Ahmala (5-4) is in at FNF 15 card on November 18. After over a year layoff, the 25 year old fighter will face Mika Kuronen (2-3). Hear from the Hardknocks Helsinki fighter in an interview below.
You fought last time almost 1.5 years ago and after that you have been forced to be sidelined due to multiple injuries. How does it feel to get back into the action?
Really nice to get to fight after a long break. I had couple surgeries which messed up my plans to fight. After last summer i was actively trying to get a fight but i have not been able squeeze myself onto any actual card yet. But now (again with a short notice) i will be stepping in to replace a fighter so i wont have to wait for long to get into action.
What areas of fighting have you been focusing to improve after your previous fight? How has Mikko Ahmala improved since last time?
I constantly aim to improve every part of the MMA game, but naturally some areas develop slower as some develop faster. I want to be as complete fighter as i can. I have not changed my agressive style since it has worked well in the past, so in Karkkila we will see some fast paced action and thrilling moments.
How are you preparing on such short notice?
It would have been nice to have a longer time to prepare for the fight, but I don’t think it will cause any problems. Fight is agreed to be fought at 82kg so i have about 8kg to get rid of.
How would you describe Kuronen as a fighter? What are his strengths and weaknesses?
I have not seen many of his fights, but he has background in wrestling so it must be a strong point for him.
How is this fight won? How it will end?
Lets see if the fight is going to be standing up or grappling. I don’t know if it will it end quickly or not, but this fight will not go the distance.
Goals for the upcoming year?
I want to avoid injuries so that i could get good fighting and competing rhythm on. Generally i would like to have more fights. In Finland the situation is currently really hard as there is not so many events and if fighter does not have a active contract with promoter then getting fights is really hard. Fighting abroad is not a bad option at all, but it requires good contacts.
