Jimi Manuwa wants to showcase 'God-given talent' against Corey Anderson in UFC Fight Night 107 main event

LONDON – Jimi Manuwa takes on Corey Anderson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 107 looking to follow up his knockout of Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 204 this past November.

Manuwa’s thumping left-hook finish of “OSP” showcased his punching power in spectacular fashion in Manchester, England. But remarkably, despite a career packed with 15 finishes in his 16 wins, it was the Brit’s first highlight-reel knockout in the UFC.

“It felt satisfying that I’d finally got a good finish,” Manuwa told MMAjunkie. “Past opponents, looking back at it, they’ve retired due to injury, or referee stoppage. To me, a win’s a win. But you always want that highlight-reel finish, and that’s my style: finishing people.”

That win made the MMA world sit up and take notice, with Manuwa dismissing inside two rounds the man who took Jon Jones the distance in an interim title fight, despite sustaining a broken arm early in the contest.

Manuwa said there’s no secret to his devastating punch power, saying you’ve either got it or you haven’t.

“I think you’re just born with it,” he said. “There’s many fighters, there’s many aggressive fighters and there’s many knockout artists. I think it’s a God-given talent to be a knockout artist.”

And when the knockouts come, Manuwa said, the moments are less euphoric and more a vindication of the work done in the lead-up to the fight.

“It feels satisfying that you’ve done your job, because that’s what I come to do,” he said. “I don’t come to win decisions or win rounds. I come to finish the fight. That’s how I train, that’s how I fight, so it’s satisfying when you get that knockout.”

Manuwa’s particular brand of heavy-handed artistry has been finely tuned through hours spent training alongside some top-level British boxers, including regular sparring partner and WBC international and British heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte.

And with fellow UFC stars Conor McGregor and Anderson Silva both linked with potential boxing contests, Manuwa is enthusiastic about the possibility of a similar excursion into the squared circle.

“Of course,” he said. “I spar with a lot of high-talent boxers and I’m more than holding my own with them. The sky’s the limit for me, so who knows?”

But for now Manuwa’s (16-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC)focus remains fixed on MMA, with his main-event bout with Anderson (9-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) presenting the next opportunity to further his reputation as one of the most dangerous contenders in the light heavyweight division.

“I plan on dishing out more pain, another stoppage (and) another stoppage win,” he said. “Corey Anderson’s a great fighter and I look forward the challenge of fighting him. But I just come to give out pain, and not a lot of people can take it.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 107, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.