'Fighters fight, talkers talk': Saskatoon's Mitch Clarke confident ahead of UFC 215 bout

Mitch Clarke knows there's no secret formula for becoming a UFC champion.

Ahead of his bout against Alex White this Saturday at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Clarke is realistic about where he stands in the sport and what it will take to eventually grab that gold.

"People nowadays, they want everything right now, it's the me, me, me, right now culture — and that's not me," said Clarke. "I'll work my butt off, and I'll get to where I need to go. And if it takes a little bit longer, who cares. I'll get there."

I'm sick of all this baloney, people just talking. It's becoming pro wrestling.- Mitch Clarke isn't a fan of trash talking

Another element of the sport Clarke decries is the trash talking, which has ramped up in recent years.

While he acknowledges that some fighters like Conor McGregor are naturals at it, and personality helps sell fights, he thinks overall many fighters just make themselves look silly and Clarke prefers to do his work inside the cage.

"Fighters fight. Talkers talk. I'm sick of all this baloney, people just talking. It's becoming pro wrestling … if I wanted to become a part of pro wrestling I'd go do pro wrestling," stated Clarke.

"It's fake and it's lame and I hate it. If you want to create fake animosity with people … that's not my jam. I'm not going to get up here and say Alex White smells like cabbage, and has tiny, carny hands, you know. I don't know him, never met him — he might smell like cabbage, he might not."

What he does know about him is White brings the fight, and Clarke's laser focus is on taking out the warrior standing in the way of his future.

For me at least it's always a must-win, it's always about winning that next fight.- Mitch Clarke says he's in a cutthroat business

"He's gritty, but I think he's kind of outgunned in this one," Clarke said, preferring to focus on his own skills and achievements. "Not that he's a bad fighter, but I've fought the toughest guys, fought bigger guys, fought guys in this weight class consistently."

Clarke and his opponent Saturday night Alex White both went into the UFC undefeated, and both have won $50,000 performance bonuses before. But they've have had uneven records recently, with White dropping three of his last four and Clarke himself on a two-fight losing streak.

Clarke doesn't feel any added pressure from those facts, though.

"It's always a must-win fight, and it's a cutthroat business, that's part of it unfortunately," Clarke said. "But for me at least it's always a must-win, it's always about winning that next fight because you're not going to be able to get going where you want to go unless...if you're not winning."

Where he wants to go is to the top levels of the sport. Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico — widely regarded as one of if not the best camps in the game — has become his fight camp home and Clarke is extremely grateful for the high level coaches and training partners. Training at high altitude helps his gas tank, and the trip south eliminates outside distractions. 

It's also motivation for me that I belong in the upper echelons of this sport.- Mitch Clarke talks about rebounding from a loss in 2015

"It aso allows me  a little more freedom, just to focus on myself, be a little bit selfish...instead of running, training, teaching, coaching, working," he said. "It's Albuquerque, so there's nothing else to do but train."

Clarke was injured when the UFC made a stop in Saskatoon two years ago and couldn't compete in his hometown.

Since he lives in Edmonton now, he didn't want to miss the chance to fight on the first-ever card in his adopted hometown, but sees the local fans as just an added bonus.

"It's super cool I get to fight here, but at the end of the day I have the same people that follow me whether I'm fighting in Virginia, Vegas...Winnipeg — they're my fan fans, this is just another fight," Clarke said.

In 2015 he lost a close fight to Michael Chiesa, who went on to string together a couple more wins and earn himself a main event headlining a show. Clarke isn't bitter about what could have been and is confident he's still on the right path to the top.

"I felt like I could have put him away and I didn't, and he started his win streak ... it kinda sucks for me, but at the same time it's also motivation for me that I belong in the upper echelons of this sport," Clarke declared.