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Maguire 'didn't expect' Hathaway fight

John Hathaway is coming off a win over Pascal Krauss © Getty Images

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England's John Maguire has revealed he was stunned to be offered a fight with compatriot John Hathaway at UFC on Fuel 5, but expects the all-British war to "steal the show" in Nottingham.

Maguire and Hathaway are two of England's top welterweights, with Maguire undefeated in his last seven fights, and Hathaway boasting a 16-1 professional MMA record.

The pair had joked about a potential meet-up weeks before the UFC ordered the fight, and it has all the hallmarks of a cracker in Nottingham this weekend. However, Maguire admits his preference would be to beat up rivals from outside his own country.

"It wasn't what I was expecting. Being an international fighter, and being in England, I wasn't expecting to fight another Brit. But the fight makes sense and it's just business," he told ESPN.

"The funny thing was, a few weeks before the fight was even mentioned, I was doing a shoot with John and we talked about whether we would avoid each other. And then all of a sudden, we've got each other!"

Asked if he considered contacting the UFC for a different opponent, Maguire replied: "Not really. We're ranked pretty close together, and you face who is put in front of you. He agreed and I agreed.

"Bottom line, it should be a good fight.

"I'm paid from the neck down, I'm a fighter and I'll fight whoever is in front of me. The only time I wouldn't is if I truly didn't think it made sense. That's the thing with me and Hathaway, it makes sense. We're both high up, and victory moves one of us forward a bit."

Hathaway's biggest career win remains Diego Sanchez on foreign soil, but for Maguire victory in Nottingham this weekend might just top his own list of victims. Either way, he won't be surprised if both men walk off with the Fight of the Night cheque.

"It probably is the biggest fight of my career, maybe not of his because he's had some big fights, but probably the biggest of mine," Maguire said.

"I don't give predictions because if I lose it looks bad! It's going to be a close fight, but I want to win in any way possible. I'm hoping me and John steal the show."

Tickets for UFC: Nottingham are available now from www.capitalfmarena.com and www.ufc.com.

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