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Etim: Renee Forte gets punished at Wembley Arena

Terry Etim welcomes Renee Forte to the lightweight division © UFC

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Terry Etim has warned Renee Forte that February 16 is going to be a very bad night for him when the pair meet at UFC London.

Etim will return to action in front of his home crowd at Wembley Arena fuelled by frustration after spending a year on the sidelines due to injury.

His opponent Forte enters the bout potentially fighting for his UFC career following an opening loss to Sergio Moraes. Etim admits he has limited information on the Brazilian, but that will not matter come February 16.

"I've only seen a couple of his fights so it's hard to make too much of him, but come fight night, he's going to be in deep water - he's definitely in for a long night," Etim told ESPN.

"After having the year that I've had, snapping my shoulder, I just want to get back in there and start winning. First on the list is Renee Forte, and February 16 is definitely not his night.

"He's well-rounded, he's decent on his feet and a black belt on the ground so I expect his ground game to be his strength. I think he'll come looking for the takedown, but whether it goes to the ground or not is not a problem.

"Where he's going to struggle is when the fight's stood up. He throws one shot at a time, so I'm going to make him miss, and every time he misses, he's getting punished. He's perfect for my style. He's going to swing and miss, and then I'll hit him with threes and fours."

Etim also predicts his rival may even have a challenge just to make weight in London, as he prepares to debut at 155lbs. Forte has gone from middleweight to welterweight, and now he is looking to cut again - which will be extra tricky given the need to travel to the UK during his preparations.

"He's never fought at lightweight. He's been at middleweight and then welterweight, but now he's down at lightweight. That's a heck of a cut. I think it's a very bad idea," Etim said.

"Good luck to him after our fight and in his future fights, but this fight is definitely only going to finish with me getting my arm raised."

For tickets to UFC London, book via Ticketmaster.co.uk

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