“(This fight) will show me what level I’m at now,” said the 170 lbs. fighter. “Right now people say it would be between me and him (to be the best welterweight in the Maritimes.)”
From stats acquired from Sherdog.com Arsenault holds a record of 7-1 (win-loss) in his MMA career, winning his last five straight, with six submission victories and one knockout.
Although there’s a trend in his victories, it’s not in his game plan.
“It’s pretty much just take what is given to you. In the cage it’s different; you just react. There’s not a huge thought process with it; you just react,” he said. “You try to have a game plan for the guy you’re fighting, but as soon as you step in the cage it’s hard to stay with that game plan.”
Goodall is an experienced fighter. According to Sherdog.com he holds a record of 9-6 (win-loss), fighting the likes of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Sean Pierson and Bellator Fighting Championship’s Ryan Ford.
Arsenault said the biggest challenge Goodall presents for him is his aggressive and well rounded fight game.
“He’s a pretty straight forward fighter; he comes straight at you,” he said. “It should be a good fight; he’s a very tough guy.”
He’s worked more on his muscle conditioning in to help him combat Goodall’s strengths.
“I know that Ricky has a strong core and if we get into a clinch or on the ground, I want to be able to still be able to work with him.”
Arsenault said his strength going into the fight would be movement.
“I started getting into this movement style fighting where you capitalize off what the other person does,” he said. “And I’m hoping speed.”
Before fights, Arsenault said he likes to joke around to keep him from getting nervous.
“Until the time when I start warming up in the back, that’s when everything changes. Then I start focusing on the fight.”
That’s not his only tradition.
Before his fights, as a show of respect, Arsenault taps gloves with his opponent, but he has a second reason for it too.
“In my head I’m saying, ‘I’m just going to circle for eight seconds and then after that I’m good,’” he laughed. “But before that eight seconds? I don’t want that record,” because that’s close to the record for being knocked out in the shortest amounts of time.
Arsenault loves the support he gets from the Islanders who come watch him, and it’s a reason why, if he had his perfect fight, it wouldn’t be over in seconds.
“I think (my perfect fight) would be a four rounder, give them a good show first,” he said. “Then finish him by knock out or submission… I don’t want to let it go into the hands of the judges.”
After this fight, Arsenault plans to take some time off to get married to fiancé Courtney Cooper and to train some up and coming fighters on his Island Impact team.
But the 34-year-old still loves the sport and still loves the competition.
Tickets are available by contacting Arsenault or through the Red Ball Internet Centre.
Matt MacGrath definitly would make for a good fight... Thats one I would definitly wanna see. Make it happen.