Tom O’Connor on John Nguyen, Unified MMA 44, and return to the cage

Tom O’Connor tests skills with John Nguyen at Unified MMA 44. This contest transpires at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex & Jim Starlight Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and broadcasts via UFC Fight Pass on May 6th.

I spoke with O’Connor ahead of this one and excerpts from our chat are below.

Tom O’Connor

O’Connor’s overall excitement level for this John Nguyen bout

“First of all, just getting back in there and getting competitive at this time. I can feel it too. Getting to fight for Unified. These bigger organizations that are getting a lot of notice and good airtime as well. The reach is improving too. I’m excited that I can tell that I’m leveling up. That’s going to come with good opponents and exciting matchups. Which just excites me. That’s why I do this sport is to have fun and challenge myself. Push myself and see what I can do. I want to fight the best. I’ve always said that. That’s what this is. He’s on a bit of a tear, I’m on a bit of a tear.”

“So the matchup is exciting. The event being in Calgary. Being local is exciting. Just getting back in there and getting to fight at all, all around just a really good energy. Really good vibe for this fight. The one thing I’m most excited for just has to be being in the building during the fight with that energy. I know that it’s going to be an electric building. I only fought once locally and it was in Lethbridge. The energy in that building was insane. I couldn’t describe it. So I’m just excited to get to the cage, get in there, and feel that energy again.”

Unified MMA 44

Parting thoughts for Tom O’Connor

“Just thank you to my team. Thank you to everyone at Progressive Fighting Academy. Thank you to Epok Agency. My agent there is on everything. Ajay is unreal. Thank you to my sponsor Bain, Front Line Towing. They’re always awesome and they help me out a lot. And then a big thank you to Unified for getting me on the show.”

“The contract with Unified, I’m just excited to fight there. Canada’s proving ground. Time to prove what I’m made of. I love that. It’s a huge show with lots of viewers. Thank you to family and friends and fans. Just for always supporting and loving MMA. Let’s go, May 6th. It’s going to be an absolute fire show, I can tell.”

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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