“You can get good levels, good looks where you’re at, but the different scenery, the different pressure or stress, dealing with whoever you may go against will only help you get that much better because you’re having to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Along with getting to go through a full training camp for just the second time in his four UFC appearance — his debut was short-notice as well — Saturday’s pairing with Dober is one that feels more in line with the kind of fight the 27-fight veteran Prepolec prefers though past experiences have made him a little leery.
“I say this every time, and I know it’s true: every time this happens and the engagements start happening, they always wanna wrestle, and it’s like, ‘I thought you were a striker?’” he said with a laugh when asked about matching up with the 36-year-old Nebraska native, who has built his career on being an all-action fighter.
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“Stylistically, I think it’s an amazing fight,” continued Prepolec. “As soon as I heard the name, I was like, ‘This is gonna be sick!’ We’ve got two exciting fighters, both strikers, both well-rounded, but we utilize what we like better because the fans like that better and it’s a little easier to watch.
“As soon as I heard the name, I was like, ‘Perfect!’”
Perfect opponent.
Perfect amount of notice.
Perfect opportunity to bring things full circle.
First pro win on October 18, 2008.
First UFC victory on October 18, 2025.
You couldn’t script it any better.