The following events in this thread occur on December 25th, 2020 so no references or statements should be made on social media regarding this event until December 25th, 2020.
On the prelim undercard
''I am confident in saying that this is the best undercard we have ever put together - a lot of new faces with tons of projected potential. We start things off and immediately Mark Addison is a name jumping off the pages in terms of his social media and how he's handled the press in the lead up to this fight, he carries himself like somebody who is eager to make a name for himself. Then we got a pro wrestling standout in Geri Vayden who's taken the wrestling industry by storm looking to prove herself as a MMA cross over star. Tyler Stevens has shown some promise as of late and is going up against a Themis family member in Ambrus. To cap it all off, two of the best heavyweight prospects in AJ Jenkynx and Mitchell Kirkwood are slated to throw down which could turn out to be the best fight of the entire night when it's all said and done, I believe the winner of this fight in particular is going to take the division by storm in 2021! I personally can't wait to see how these fights play out and I expect them to set the tone of the rest of the night regardless of the strength of the main card.''
On returning fans in Japan
''This has been an extremely huge undertaking for us but being able to get fans back into the arenas safely has been at the top of our agenda since the initial COVID-19 outbreak. We understand that while the threat isn't over, we do feel that we can begin to host crowds in a safe manner. Fans will be required to wear masks at all times and we will be operating in the arena at around 50% capacity. Our fighters will continue to be tested and will not be at any risk of potentially contracting the virus from any fans in attendance. We will be evaluating the situation as we go and adapt where necessary as we have always done.''
On the Main Card
''What a crazy night of fights this will be. My granddaughter Sunni will be making her GCC debut after having a spectacular championship run in Supreme MMA against fellow competitor Desdemona Themis. As the employer of the Themis family, I take any insinuation of a family feud of sorts in good spirits and wish Des the best of luck in her showing. Then we have Tommy Ward vs. Aleksandr Baranov at heavyweight. With a string of high profiled injuries in the heavyweight division; this match up has become that much more important for the winner here. Although, I cannot outright say that the winner is guaranteed to fight Ross Hanson for the title - it will certainly be something we seriously consider moving forward. And then at the top of all that we'll have Gaia Galanos going up against her former training partner and my granddaughter, Rupika Khan. Although Rupi is my granddaughter, I also see Gaia Galanos as one too. I am very fond of her and what she has done for the GCC and so making this match up happen was a top priority for us. I know both of these women are going to steal the show and I hope both of them leave the cage healthy and free of injury. As an MMA fan, I have never been so excited to see how all of these fights play out.''
On Rob Jones vs. Sanit Klahan
''The decision to grant the GUF lightweight winner an immediate title shot has drawn some criticism from some fans and a few GCC lightweights themselves but I can't say I regret the decision. The division is certainly better off now then it was a few months ago but Sanit Klahan busted his ass to earn this title shot. Still, there are many questions that he will need to answer when he steps into the cage with the champion Rob Jones. Rob Jones is clearly the favorite in this match up and on paper should have the best odds of retaining his title tomorrow night but Lone Wolf MMA has been pouring their heart and soul into prepping Sanit or this fight knowing full well what's at stake here. Before I stepped out here, Sanit pulled be aside and told me with a complete sense of certainty that he's going to beat Rob Jones. Those Lone Wolf guys are confident that they can replicate the success Awut Somaskul had against Jones in the past. And yet, I look at Rob Jones and I see a machine. A killer. He isn't the same fighter he was when he lost to Awut and I think it's important for Lone Wolf MMA to take that into consideration. Rob Jones is the real deal.''
On Clive Hicks vs. Tim McCarthy
''We're really going to see what the champion is made of in this fight. Clive Hicks has looked amazing in his fights up until this point but Tim McCarthy has demonstrated that he has the skill set to give Clive Hicks fits. It's no secret that Clive Hicks has struggled in the clinch early into his career and if there is anyone who can drag him into those waters, it's Tim McCarthy. The champion has the benefit of training at one of the best camps in the world at HILITE FC and is getting paid enough to ensure he has the best training and preparation for this fight where as Tim McCarthy is just a dog, he's really earned his nick name cold blooded over the string of his last few performances. After what he did to a guy like Manuel Gamboa, the champion is going to have a steep hill to climb tomorrow night.''
On Misty DeMeans vs. Juanita Sanchez
''On the biggest card of the year, it's only fitting that it's headlined by the biggest fight of the year! When we talk about the champion Misty DeMeans your talking about a bonafide superstar, the girl is box office. It doesn't matter if your a fan of the GCC, a casual fan or even a fight fan at all - your tuning in on the off chance you get the chance to watch her lose. Love her or hate her, that means a lot. This is all without saying that she has proven to be one of the best fighters on the globe pound for pound. However as the saying famously goes, styles make fights. Insert Juanita Sanchez. She has the style to dethrone Misty DeMeans in spectacular fashion. Juanita is going to make Misty wrestle and at some point, the fight will end up in her world and we have yet to see how a fighter like Misty DeMeans handles that across her nine
professional fights. To top it off, this is going down in front of a live Japanese crowd who has been starving for high quality live MMA fights for nearly a year now. My prediction? My prediction is that this fight along with the rest of the card shatters all previous GCC records. This is going to be a night to remember my friends.''
On Tommy Ward’s team bringing their families out to see him fight:
On him viewing Tommy Ward as a “stepping stone”:
On Alejandro Rivera constantly being brought up to him, but Baranov refusing to talk about him:
On how he plans to handle Tommy Ward’s clearly superior grappling game: