• UFC 112

New Etim contract could rest on Dos Anjos outcome

Terry Etim is looking for a fifth win on the spin © UFC

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Terry Etim enters the biggest fight of his life in Abu Dhabi knowing his UFC future could rest on the outcome of what happens at UFC 112.

Etim fights Rafael Dos Anjos on April 10, marking his first appearance on the main card of a UFC event. However, the 24-year-old lightweight has just two fights left on his current contract, and the UFC usually look to renew when that figure falls to one.

That means a shattering loss to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dos Anjos could leave Etim in a weak bargaining position. Contrastingly, victory would be the Briton's fifth on the bounce - propelling him closer to a title shot, and Etim admits he could not picture his future being anywhere other than in the UFC.

"I've got two fights left on my UFC contract, so after the Dos Anjos fight I think decisions begin to get made about what happens in the future," Etim told Espn.co.uk.

"I'm never too sure to be honest, I leave that side of things down to the manager. I just get told 'you've got another contract', so I'm obviously over the moon when that happens. The most important thing to me and my career is that I can progress in the UFC, there's nowhere else I want to be."

Etim is preparing to appear on a main card loaded with big fights, not least the two title bouts involving Anderson Silva v Demian Maia and BJ Penn v Frankie Edgar. The legendary names of Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie will also go head-to-head, and Etim admits he had no idea he was joining them on the main show, despite prior warnings from UFC president Dana White.

"The first I knew of it was the other day when somebody rang me and told me I was on the main card. At the last press conference I attended Dana White said to me he would get me on a main card, but I wasn't sure if he meant my next fight, or if he just meant in the future after another few wins. I'm made up to be on the main card, but it's just another fight. I'm not interested in that kind of stuff."

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