Oliver Aubin-Mercier has dropped two consecutive decisions to Alexander Hernandez and Gilbert Burns in July and December 2018.
Now, “The Canadian Gangster” will make his return to the Octagon. He will face the Russian’s fighter Arman Tsarukyan in a lightweight bout at UFC 240, which takes place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 27.
“I want to take a break to find solutions. I’m ready to come back. I feel like I have made a lot of progress over the last few months,” Aubin-Mercier said.
“My body is better, it’s the first thing. During my last training camps, the pain sometimes prevented me from sleeping and also prevented me from training in wrestling.” Aubin-Mercier added.
The physical limitations, coupled with the fact that he has greatly improved his standing battle over the past few years, have resulted in his moving away from the style that has allowed Aubin-Mercier to achieve success quickly in his career.
“I practiced a lot of ground games during my break. I refined my style and I adopted techniques that will allow me to neutralize the jiu-jitsu of my opponents.” Aubin-Mercier said.
“In my last fight, I had a problem of trust. Against wrestlers, I hesitated to go to the ground, but I realize that it is my strength and I must exploit it.” he added.
The 30-year old Quebec native will probably have the opportunity to practice his new techniques in his next fight.
In his UFC debut past April Tsarukyan saw a 12-fight winning streak snapped when he was outpointed by Islam Makhacev in a competitive three-round fight at UFC Fight Night 149. He then holds win over former UFC star Felipe Olivieri, Junior Assuncao, and Takenori Sato.
“I was surprised that the UFC offers me Tsarukyan. He’s 0-1 at the UFC and winning against this guy does not bring me a lot of profit. At the same time, after two defeats in a row, I was not really in a strong position in the negotiations.” Aubin-Mercier said.
