Scots MMA star Mark Ewen targeting PFL Europe tournament crown
Ewen's star is on the rise and the undefeated Edinburgh-based fighter believes this competition provides both the opportunity and the stability he needs as he looks to foster an already burgeoning reputation.
The first part of his hoped-for trilogy of contests takes place in Belfast tonight, with the other two bouts scheduled for elsewhere in Europe later in the year. The cash prize will, of course, come in handy for this father of two-year-old daughter, Rue, but it is the chance to plan ahead and work towards a bigger goal that holds most appeal for the 26-year-old.
'This game, MMA, there's always that uncertainty,' confirms the Higher Level regular. 'You never know when you're fighting or who you're fighting. But now seeing who I'm fighting, when I'm going to fight, all the dates, all the places and that all kind of thing pencilled in, it's brilliant.
'It's not like football where you know when the season starts and when you're playing. So to have a schedule, it feels nice, it's a bit refreshing. I can actually book a family holiday and work around it.
'All I need to do is make sure I turn up in the best shape possible and I'm excited for that. I've always wanted this opportunity. As soon as I signed for PFL, I had my eyes on the tournament and now I've finally got the opportunity to go in and grasp it so that's what I plan on doing.
'The 100K would be nice, don't get me wrong! I've envisioned winning that. But that doesn't mean anything. You need to go and win these fights each step at a time.
"I want three fights, three big wins against good opposition, finishing the year 9-1 with top level wins and great performances each time. That's the plan, just put on really good performances each time, level up each and every fight and just show that I'm truly on another level.
'And at the end the icing on the cake will be the 100K and the gold belt but it's not what I'm aiming for. It's the fights and the competition and the performances that I'm focused on.'
Standing in the Scot's way in Belfast tonight will be Alex Chizov, the two-time European champion from Latvia. He's someone Ewen was meant to be fighting last year until it fell through so he's done his homework.
'I've prepared for him before, I know exactly what it takes to beat him and I know I can beat him,' he adds with typical confidence. 'This is his third shot at the PFL tournament so I'm under no illusion that he's going to come in hungry. This is probably his last chance so his is going to be the best Chizov we're going to see. That's exactly what I want, that's what I need and that's what I'm preparing for.
'I'm going to go in there and put it on him, get stuck in, finish him and put on a real masterclass to show the level I'm at.'
Ewen did exactly that in his last fight in September at Glasgow's Hydro when he showed he can choke as well as strike after forcing Yassin Chtatou to tap out in the first round.
'I wanted to go in and show that I could grapple, because I know I can grapple with the best of them,' he recalled. 'And I went and did that. Then obviously just soaking up the win with it being in Glasgow and the Hydro – I had envisioned that for years, with my teammates.
"I was literally on a high for about two to three weeks after. You get a high after every fight but never for as long as that. That was a real special one, that'll stay with me for the rest of my life I believe.'
MMA fans can watch Mark Ewen fight at PFL Europe Belfast from 5pm exclusively on DAZN
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