[NEF Press Release]
“I find him disrespectful as a person and I want to keep it classy on a podcast,” Harvey stated in the beginning of the interview. “I do not want to speak my full mind. You meet the guy, talk to him for a minute and you want to fight him. But it depends on which Matt you are talking to. Because he can rub people the wrong way and he can kiss their ass on the same day. That is who he is.”
The bad blood between the two rivals has been rising for a long time. The potential matchup had been talked about for years, but is scheduled to finally become a reality on April 23rd.
“In this case, I’ve wanted to fight Matt Denning since we were both amateurs,” Harvey stated to Floyd during the interview. “I couldn’t make it happen then. I guess I wasn’t the fight he wanted. At the time, I only had one or two amateur fights and he was towards the end of his amateur career.”
"He’s backed out of fights before at the pro level,” “Harvey stated. “He’s missed weight. Is it a career? Is it a hobby? I mean, it’s for him to decide, but we’ll find out if he wants to show up to fight.”
When Floyd asked Harvey if the fight was personal, Harvey confirmed the obvious. “I think it is,” Harvey replied. “I’m not saying they’re going to want two refs in there to pull me off of him, but it’s going to finish that way.”
During the interview, Harvey also noted the difference in quality of training partners, as he sees it, and how that will impact the outcome of the fight.
“I don’t think he’s rolling with the animals that we’re bringing in every day,” Harvey stated. “The people he has submitted, I don’t think their jitz game was tight—and that’s why he took those fights.”
When asked how he would like to end the fight with Denning, Harvey explained to Floyd that a submission finish would be satisfying, but that he was prepared to create the finish wherever it presents itself.
“It would be nice to turn Ken Doll into Stretch Armstrong—that would be sweet,” Harvey stated toward the end of the interview. “But I’m going to beat him wherever the fight goes. I’m not going to force it down to beat him on the ground and I’m not going to force it to stay up. Of course, if he tries to take me down—I don’t give up takedowns for nobody. I’ll beat him wherever the fight goes.”
To listen to Josh Harvey’s complete interview on The MMA Report visit:
http://themmareport.com/2016/03/josh-harvey-on-nef-22-opponent-matt-denning-i-find-him-disrespectful-as-a-person/
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 22: ALL ROADS LEAD HERE,” takes place Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”