No Task Too Tall for Josh Reed

Where some see a tall task, Josh Reed sees a potentially career-altering opportunity.

The 32-year-old Welshman will make his Professional Fighters League debut when he toes the line against unbeaten blue-chip prospect Ibragim Ibragimov in a PFL Europe 2 featherweight showcase on Saturday at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. Reed enters the cage as a hefty 4-to-1 underdog but pays no mind to the odds.

“Check my history and just watch me on fight night,” he told Sherdog.com. “I bring fireworks every single fight. I turn up, and I put asses in seats. It’s as simple as that.”

Ibragimov, who turned 20 less than a month ago, has established himself as one of the sport’s most promising talents. Based out of Manchester Top Team in England, he often splits his training with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp in Makhachkala, Russia. Ibragimov has finished five of his first six opponents and last fought in September, when he laid claim to the Caged Steel MMA lightweight championship with a third-round technical knockout of Joaquim Polonia.

A 21-fight veteran who has spent the majority of his career in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship organization, Reed understands the difficult challenge that awaits, even if he limits the time he spends scouting the opposition.

“I don’t really get fixated on watching video after video after video,” he said. “I find that interrupts my own training. That’s me personally. I have a quick look when they announce my fight. I have a quick look, maybe watch a fight, maybe delete this fight. I’ll have a little look at that. It’s pretty obvious what he does, hence why he’s gone out to Khabib’s camp to fight me. Obviously, he’s very wrestle-heavy, so I’m assuming he’ll play towards that in the fight. I’m training in all areas. I train with great guys myself. I don’t have to go name dropping. I know my team is up there with the best, and yeah, I’m ready for anything he brings. I’m looking forward to the fight.”

Should Reed upend Ibragimov and draw the full attention of PFL evaluators, he could finds himself on the organization’s global roster sooner rather than later.

“It’s always a goal to get into the biggest leagues you can, make the most money and all that jazz that goes with it, but I take each fight that’s put in front of me like I always have, and we’ll go from there,” he said. “We’ll see what every win I get brings.”

Reed continues to sharpen his skills at Shore Mixed Martial Arts in Abertillery, Wales. He credits the gym for much of his success and growth.

“The camp’s going amazing like always,” Reed said. “They put the hours in with me. I can’t thank them enough for this.”