Jai Herbert feels UFC ready, wants ‘bigger’ Cage Warriors title challenge than Mason Jones

Jai Herbert underlined how elite he is with a stunning knee finish of Cain Carrizosa in the main event of Cage Warriors 109 on Saturday night, and the lightweight champion feels as though he’s ready for the UFC.

Speaking on the latest episode of Eurobash, Herbert highlighted why he’s felt he’s done enough to earn a call up to the world’s biggest MMA stage.

“I feel like I’ve done enough…I mean come on…what more do you want me to do?” Herbert quipped during an appearance on MMA Fighting’s Eurobash podcast.

“I think that’s four stoppages now in the last four or five fights and three of them have been in the first round. That last fight, you don’t get any clearer than that, it was a clear knockout, so I don’t know what else they want me to do. I’m never in a boring fight, I always bring it and that’s what [UFC officials] like, so they should sign me up.”

Although many are calling for undefeated Welsh fighter Mason Jones to be the next challenge for Herbert’s lightweight crown, “The Black Country Banger” is adamant that he wants an opponent with international stock for his next title defense if the call doesn’t come from the UFC.

“I honestly don’t think Graham [Boylan] would make that fight, or Ian Dean. I feel like—and no disrespect to anyone—I’ll have to fight someone else… someone from Brazil or something or another American or something. I don’t think fighting anyone else in the division is a good step for me at the moment because the UFC ain’t gonna be seeing that as me being tested. I just don’t see any of these guys testing me to be honest with you,” explained Herbert.

“I just have to go bigger, don’t I? All the other guys in the division… look I don’t like to talk sh*t about people because I’m a martial artist and I’ve got respect for people, but I need bigger tests. I need bigger names and bigger tests than these people in the division. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.”

Herbert revealed that he was advised by UFC middleweight and Team Renegade coach Tom Breese to seek an international caliber opponent if he remains with Cage Warriors.

“This is what Breese did. I was saying to Breese, ‘Who should I fight next?’ and I was naming a couple of lads from the roster and he said, ‘No, we need to go international. We need a geezer who has fought in the UFC or someone who is doing bits in America. That’s what’s going to get you noticed by the UFC because these guys ain’t on your level.’ I need to be fighting better people, so that’s what I’m going for.”

Click below to hear Jai Herbert’s interview on Eurobash. The segment begins at 1:04:00.