UFC Fight Night 153 Exclusive: Ilir Latifi talks about fighting against Volkan Oezdemir before the injury

UFC Fight Night 153 also known as UFC on ESPN+ 11 is going to take place at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden.

The main event of the night will see Alexander Gustafsson square off against Anthony Smith. However, in the co-main event of the night, Ilir Latifi was supposed to face Volkan Oezdemir, before their fight was cancelled due to a back injury that Ilir Latifi suffered only two days before the event, leading to him pulling out of the fight.

I had caught up with him before the cancellation was announced and had the chance to ask him a few questions.

How to see UFC Fight Night 153 Live?

Catch UFC Fight Night 153 Live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD on the 1st of June 2019, 10:30 PM.

Q. Given your friendship with Volkan Oezdemir, will this fight be a challenge for you?

IL: Of course yes. We are friends, and so it is not the same thing fighting with someone you don't have a friendly relationship with, it is what it is, so yeah.

Q. What has your preparation been like ahead of this fight?

IL: My preparations have been good you know. I have been training at All Stars preparing for this fight and everything felt good.

Q. Has it been tough to bounce back from your last loss at UFC 232?

IL: You know, learning from the experience coming back and just sort of focusing on getting back on track as soon as possible.

Q. If there were one fighter you could face in the UFC, who would it be?

IL: Right now, I am just focusing on this fight, and I'm going to take that slowly. After that, let's see.

Q. What is your favourite hobby or pastime outside of fighting?

IL: I love diving and travelling!