Jared Gordon is finished with focusing on boundaries.
All he sees is opportunity.
“You need to persevere, and you need faith,” said Gordon. “If you have that, it’s never too late to be who you want to be.”
Gordon is working relentlessly to reach the pinnacle of his sport. A win later today against Nasrat Haqparast would likely thrust him into the Top 15 of the UFC’s vaunted lightweight division. That is uncharted territory for Gordon, 35, and he will have a serious puzzle to solve in Haqparast (16-5), who is seven years younger than Gordon and riding a three-fight win streak into today’s bout.
Well-versed in adversity, Gordon has faced far tougher opponents than Haqparast. Gordon’s drug addiction was so crippling that, nine years ago, he was once legally dead for two minutes. Somehow, he survived. He overdosed three times, each time seemingly slimming any hopes for his future.
In miraculous fashion, Gordon survived. And he kept fighting.
The fighting spirit on display in the Octagon is also applied to everyday life, where a clean and healthy Gordon is grateful to be alive. And his career continues to reach new heights. After defeating Mark Madsen by TKO last November in front of a home crowd at Madison Square Garden, Gordon intends to add another victory to his win column.
Later today, the Queens, New York native will fight Haqparast in Saudi Arabia in a nationally televised broadcast on ABC.
“There’s a lot of eyes on this,” said Gordon (20-6, 1 NC). “Stylistically, it’s a great fight for me. I’m in great shape. In the smartest, strongest, and healthiest I’ve ever been. I’m the best I’ve ever been.
“I’m prepared. I’m ready. Now I need to go out there and make it happen.”
Gordon arrived in Dubai four-and-a-half weeks ago to acclimate himself. He quickly embraced the idea of fighting in Saudi (“Hunter [Campbell] called and said, ‘Do you want to fight in Saudi Arabia?’ and I couldn’t say yes fast enough”), and he will turn doubters into believers if he can defeat an opponent like Haqparast. Gordon has a history of doing precisely that, and he plans to continue it today.
If Gordon emerges victorious today, he’ll undoubtedly mention Madison Square Garden in his post-fight interview.
“I’m fighting to be on that MSG card in November,” said Gordon. “This time, I want to be on the main card. That would be ideal. Win this one, get on the main card at MSG, and fight in front of my home.”
Gordon is operating at his absolute best. Winning opens all sorts of doors, and even though he enters today’s bout as the underdog, he plans on seizing the moment.
“I’ve got a lot to fight for,” said Gordon. “So I’m going to keep fighting.”
More must-reads: