"I'm not a perfect fighter" - Denis Puric bares flaws, says entertaining fans is his 'job'

Canadian-Bosnian veteran Denis Puric built his reputation on raw entertainment over the course of his lengthy career, and even in defeat, 'The Bosnian Menace' finds comfort knowing he gave it his all.

The Team CSK warrior will bring the same high-octane approach into his next outing in the promotion at ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, November 16.

That evening, inside the Ariake Arena, Puric squares off against Takeru Segawa in a flyweight kickboxing joust.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) caught up with the ultra-aggressive fighter ahead of his pivotal matchup against the former three-division K-1 champion to ask whether his philosophy has served him well. He said:

"There were ups and downs. I'm not a perfect fighter, but I'm exciting, and I know I put on a great show every time," the 41-win veteran told SCMP.

He further continued:

"That's what it's all about, man. It's about performance. For me, it's not all about winning and losing fights. For me, it's about performing and winning the crowd. That's my job."

Watch his full interview with SCMP below:

Indeed, Denis Puric's fan-friendly style has been a permanent fixture in all his fights despite being on a rough stretch as of late.

In his matches against Elias Mahmoudi, a defeat that was overturned to a no-contest after Mahmoudi tested positive for a banned substance, and Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Puric's forward pressure and decision to drop his guard in search of a knockout resulted in a pair of epic barnburners.

Whether or not this style will be effective against 'Natural Born Krusher' in Tokyo remains to be seen. Even if it is not, though, Puric would be happy knowing he treated the Japanese faithful to a classic 'Bosnian Menace' war.

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Denis Puric is grateful to be fighting in his 40s

In the same exchange with SCMP, Denis Puric showed gratitude for being able to fight at an age when most fighters would have called it a day.

The 40-year-old said:

"It's wonderful that I can still do it at this age. To be honest, I feel good. Like, I don't feel the age creeping up on me."

Fight fans eager to catch all the action at ONE 173 live can follow this link to secure their seats.

ONE's return to Japan on Sunday, November 16, will be headlined by a ONE featherweight kickboxing world title unification contest between kingpin Superbon and interim titleholder Masaaki Noiri.