Rolando “The Incredble” Dy is determined to take another huge step in his mixed martial arts career, making significant changes on his end that he plans to show off in his next fight.
The 30-year-old Filipino hard-hitter is set to take on local favorite Slobodan Maksimovic in the main event of BRAVE CF 56 on Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Belexpocentar in Belgrade, Serbia.
Dy may have always possessed the warrior spirit, but nine months ago, he received the necessary wake-up call he needed to take his career to another level.
In March, at BRAVE CF 47: Asian Domination, Dy took on rising Kyrgyz contender Abdisalam “Omok” Kubanychbek. Unfortunately, the match did not go his way.
Kubanychbek imposed his strategy perfectly as “Omok” used all of his might to get Dy down on the canvas and clobbered with afflicting ground-and-pound that forced the corner of the Pinoy combatant to throw in the towel before the start of the third and final round.
Instead of sulking, Dy used the setback as a valuable learning experience.
“I think I could have done better, but looking back, I think it’s what I needed. It was a tough loss, but at the same time, it’s an eye-opener. I picked up a good number of lessons from that experience alone,” he said.
“The Incredible” realized that he needed to drastically change the way he trains. He did that when he hired strength and conditioning coach, Marlon Emanel.
While some prizefighters prefer a certain routine in camp, having another person in Emanel in the gym aside from striking coach Norman Arenas appears to have reignited the fire inside Dy.
He’s now looking forward to putting his training into practice against an extremely-tough opponent in Maksimovic.
“It does feel really good to get out of your comfort zone. At first, it was difficult. But that’s part of the adaptation phase of the program. I do feel much stronger and much faster heading into this fight. You will see it in my next fight,” Dy stated.
“Truth be told, I’m not getting any younger. In this physically-taxing sport, a fighter needs to preserve his or her body. By hiring a strength and conditioning trainer, I know my coach will help me extend my shelf life as a fighter,” he added.
Dy’s opponent this weekend is also determined to make a big first impression on the sport’s global stage after spending over 11 years in the regional circuit, amassing a professional record of 17-6-1.
Maksimovic is on a two-bout winning streak while winning seven out of his last eight assignments since 2016.
Dy knows that the pressure is mounting on him. The promotion’s year-end extravaganza is happening in Maksimovic’s hometown, where the local crowd will undoubtedly cheer for their hero.
With a focus on nullifying the crowd and keeping the result out of the judges’ hands, Dy plans to put forth the performance of a lifetime.
“Come fight night, I have to perform to the best of my ability. He will have the so-called hometown advantage. I feel the pressure, of course. But it only motivates me to get the win in decisive fashion,” he stressed.
For Dy, he views his three-round cage encounter opposite Maksimovic as a springboard to bigger and better opportunities.
“Beating Slobodan Maksimovic will definitely put me in a better place in the division. It’s no secret that I want to fight for the title. Getting that win on December 18 will kick-start my run to the top,” he ended. (Brave CF) – bny
