A shark in the cage: Jonas Magard is the main event of Oktagon 41
Danish bantamweight MMA fighter Magard is one of the Nordic region's most high-profile fighters in his sport, with a current record of 14-5-0 (wins-losses-undefeated). But there should have been an extra match in this statistic.
He was originally intended to headline Oktagon 38, which took place in Prague at the end of December. Here he was supposed to fight Filip Macek (31), whom he has previously defeated, but a fracture of Magard's cheekbone put an end to that showdown.
Now, however, the cheekbone has healed and he is back in the cage, where he will face American Gustavo Lopez (33) (13-6-1) on 15 April in the Oktagon 41 tournament, which also takes place in the Czech Republic, but in the somewhat more northern Liberec.
Lopez was the stand-in for Magard against Macek, whom he defeated by a guillotine choke in the first round. So at first glance, something could suggest that he is up against an even stronger opponent than originally planned. But Magard, who describes himself as a "shark" in the ring, hence the nickname, has no fear.
In connection with the event, Flashscore had the opportunity to ask Magard a few questions before the fight, which is the bantamweight title fight and main event for Saturday night in Liberec.
There was a fight against Filip Macek at Oktagon 38 in December, but as you know, it had to be cancelled due to your injury. Now it's Gustavo Lopez, who beat Macek in your absence. Have you had to prepare differently for a guy like Lopez than you did against Macek?
"Yes, I have. Lopez is a very different type and I would say he is also a better opponent than Macek would have been. It's a fight I'm very happy to be in and I'm ready to show that I'm one of the best in the world in my weight class," says a very confident fighter.
Magard's last fight was way back in November 2021, as the December showdown was cancelled, but the Randers boy has no reason to doubt his fighting form, he believes. "He has just gotten better.
It's been a while since you last stepped into the ring, and you're facing an opponent you haven't faced before - what do you expect from Lopez?
"I'm expecting a fighter who is ready to fight and comes to win, it's been a while since I've fought, but for me personally it doesn't matter because I've been training the whole time. And now I'm looking forward to showing how much I've developed."
And while he is aware that Lopez is an experienced and skilful opponent, he is not afraid of being surprised by the American. Because that could always happen.
"It's a fight, so there will always be surprises along the way. It's part of the sport. But I'm mentally prepared, stay focused on the task at hand and keep a cool head, no matter what surprises might come," he says.
His training regimes alternate between Manchester, England, and Malmo, Sweden, and he believes that this variety is one of the reasons why he continues to develop.
"I get out of my comfort zone, just like when you fight in the ring. Also, I have the opportunity to spar with better opponents in my weight class and use better training equipment.
"I've been training in Manchester for the last six or seven years and it's worked well for me. Of course, it's hard to be without my family for such a long period of time, especially my little son, but it's also a driving motivation," Magard tells Flashscore.
One of the things that has brought him to the level he is at now is having sparred with one of the most experienced MMA fighters, American Frank Mir, who, at almost 44 years old, has been able to contribute a lot of experience in the sport.
"I haven't used him up to this event, but we have trained a lot together in the past. And studying and learning from him has definitely taught me a lot about what MMA is all about. One of those things is to keep extreme focus.
"And my focus is on my opponent and what his weaknesses are. There's always development in the sport and new things to learn, and that's one of the things I love most about MMA - besides the fight itself, of course," Magard concludes.