Nathan Ghareeb meets Dan Dubuque to battle for championship glory at CES 70

Springfield, MA – Fight night is three days away, but Nathan Ghareeb has been ready for weeks.

The Southampton, MA native returns to the cage Friday night in the main event of CES 70 at the MassMutual Center live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, where he takes on former training partner and Waterbury, CT native, Dan Dubuque for the vacant CES MMA World Featherweight Championship.

Much has been made about the rivalry between the two; they trained together in 2018 at the Fighting Arts Academy (FAA) in Connecticut and even squared off before Ghareeb’s last fight in June. When presented with the opportunity to square off in a real fight that counts, neither side objected, and to add even more fuel to the fire, there has been no shortage on both sides of who is going to win and how, making this a Fight. MMA fans can’t miss it.

Tickets for CES 70 are available online at CESFights.com or MassMutualCenter.com. Preliminary bouts begin at 7 pm ET, followed by the live broadcast of FIGHT PASS at 8 pm with announcer Michael Parente (@MichaelParente); color commentator Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon), a 27-time UFC veteran; and FUN 107 on-air personality and in-cage correspondent Madelyn Levine (@maddieonair).

Both Ghareeb (6-1) and Dubuque (8-5) have been talking a lot in the weeks leading up to the fight. They’ve been cast as rivals, friends turned foes, bloodthirsty foes on a collision course with fate, but the truth is there is a mutual respect shared between the two, even if it hasn’t always been adequately conveyed through the press. . .

Dubuque, a former world title challenger in 2019 when he faced Bruce Boyington for the CES featherweight crown, recently spoke about his motivation for accepting this fight despite not having fought in over two years. The 36-year-old right-hander, who owns his own home and business inspection firm, Connecticut Inspection Consultants, LLC, boasts a misleading 8-5 record because, in his own words, “I only take tough fights.”

Dubuque also added: “I have a career. I do this for fun. If this doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world for me.”

Ghareeb, who notes that unlike Dubuque, “I give my life to this,” likened the buildup to this fight to a “scaled-down” version of the Colby Covington-Jorge Masvidal UFC 272 hype, but also seemed upset that Dubuque was he objected to this early take on the fight in which he said, “I don’t just want to beat him, I want to finish him off.”

Ghareeb explained, “I really think I’m a better fighter. He is more of a guardian: a tough guy who relies on his determination and toughness. That’s great, but that’s the generation before me. They destroyed their bodies. I’ve been smart with my career. I respect the guy for what he’s done, but like I said before, this is a different game and I’m a different generation of fighters.

“If you sign a contract to fight me, understand one thing: I am going to go out and hurt you. This is all I work for. He does this for fun. He sacrificed everything to do this. When they told me he wanted this fight, I said, ‘Fine. I’ll give you what you’re asking for.’” This is an opportunity for me to make an example of someone. Even if you’re a friend of mine, if you think you’re going to step up and beat me, you’re wrong.”

If it looks and sounds like Ghareeb has a chip on his shoulder, that’s because he does. Ghareeb, a self-described “nomad,” has never worn his welcome in a gym for long. He has taken advantage of learning different disciplines and techniques through different trainers, either at the FAA or in West Virginia, Germany, Austria and even Thailand. He never had the luxury of working his entire life at a prestigious academy or under the guidance of a well-known coach or manager, and for that reason, he says, he has been overlooked.

“How many people knew who I was until August? I was a fool who showed up and fought,” Ghareeb said. “They’ve always talked about the guys from Eastern Massachusetts who come from remarkable gyms. I was just a guy. Now I’ve had a chance to take on some of those guys and prove myself. The reality is that I’m not trying to be the best in New England. I’m trying to be one of the best boxers in the world.”

While Ghareeb has felt ignored throughout his career based on his background, Dubuque feels he is now the underdog this weekend based on some of the predictions that have come out in recent weeks. Whoever wins will suddenly find themselves in the conversation for a bigger shot, perhaps before the end of 2022. All “pleasures” aside, this one has the makings of an instant classic.

“I respect Nate. I think I’m more of a dog than him. Totally,” Dubuque said. “If he lets the fight continue, I’ll be there for 25 minutes. I think he is grossly underestimating me and overlooking me. I think he’s going to find out the hard way.”

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. He is passionate about combat sports and also hosts a podcast for Sitting Ringside. He is also a former MMA Fighter and Kickboxer.

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