In an interview with James Krause, I touched base with him about his upcoming bout with Jorge Masvidal and what to expect. When asked about filling in on short notice, he said that he didn’t feel like it was on short notice. He had almost 6 weeks to train for this fight and also mentioned that he was able to fit in a whole training camp.
I then asked him what he thought of Jorge Masvidal as an opponent and he said “This is my toughest challenge to date.” Krause then went on to say that he is the right fighter to deal with him. “Jorge is known for coming into fights mainly as a boxer in the stand-up, but I am a kickboxer and feel that I have the advantage on the feet.” Krause also stated that he can deal with Masvidal’s submission attempts on the ground. He is not afraid to take the fight anywhere.
When I brought up the fact that he was seen as the underdog Krause stated that he has been labeled as an underdog in every single UFC fight that he has been in, and that is not a big deal to him at all. He actually likes playing the role as the underdog. Krause said that he does not pay attention to any of the rankings. He knows that Masvidal is a big name in the UFC and was also a premier fighter under the Strikeforce banner.
Next I asked where he would see himself with a victory over Masvidal. “If I beat a top 15 opponent, doesn’t that make me a top 15?” exclaimed Krause. Krause feels that his victories over veteran Sam Stout and former WEC Champion Jamie Varner definitely put him in a spot where he can fight some of the top ranked Lightweights. The top of the heap is the goal and Krause will take each fight at a time to get there.
In reply to what type of fight this will be, he answered that he mainly expects a stand-up war. Both fighters are well rounded, but prefer the fight to stay on the feet. Krause is confident if it becomes a stand-up war. He feels that his kicks will make the difference and his kicking power will definitely throw Masvidal off. Krause kicked Varner so hard in his last fight that it broke Varner’s ankle. Krause hopes for a finish, but will be satisfied with a decision victory.
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