Tony Laramie returns this weekend to compete under theRizin Fighting Federationbanner, and his ex-UFC veteran brother has highlighted the challenge that awaits him. The combatant in question, TJ Laramie, has had a compelling individual journey in the sport and also shares certain pieces with his brother, as Tony is on his own path within MMA.

Laramie has cornered his brother for past Rizin bouts, and the Windsor, Ontario native was seen training with Masakazu Imanari in Tokyo around this time last year while cornering Tony. As his younger brother prepares to fight Takaki Soya this time out, one of the more proven contenders in RFF, when asked for his thoughts on this Rizin 52 fight and how Tony gets it done here over the weekend, Laramie said [viaMMA Canada],

“Oh, I mean honestly Tony is like the most talented guy, like one of the most talented fighters I know by far. He’s a very hard worker on top of this, too. I don’t think in this matchup he really; the only thing that could potentially be a detriment to him is he has too much of that warrior spirit. Where he wants to go in and just kill someone. But I think in his last fight, he really showed a different side of his game. Where he was able to; and it’s not a different side of his game. He’s always had that, but a more fluid approach to the fight.”

“Not really going in there trying to get the kill. So I’m really not worried about him for this fight. I actually leave on Thursday. I’m going to be there for like three days only [laughs]. I’m leaving Thursday, going to corner him, and then fly back the next day. Just because I [have] got to continue training for my fight. But yeah, so I’ll be out there. Yeah, it’s just; it’s awesome to see him do his thing.”

“Honestly the Rizin flyweight division is far more interesting than any other organization for flyweight at the moment. Personally for me, I think [Kyoji] Horiguchi will end up being the UFC champion and he left Rizin as the champion as well.”

The elder Laramie has his own March matchup looming as TJ clashes with Mehdi Zeidvand at Samourai MMA 18. This transpires on March 27th in Quebec for the vacant SMMA featherweight championship in the main event of that card.

When touching on how Tony is going to be reciprocating and cornering TJ in his next contest, which takes place in the coming weeks against an unbeaten pro mixed martial artist on UFC Fight Pass, TJ Laramie stated [viaMMA Canada],

“Yeah, he’ll [Tony’ll] be here. So after his fight, he’ll be probably spending the last couple weeks of camp here with me. Just that’s usually how we do it. I couldn’t be with him for this camp too much obviously because I’m kind of doing my own thing. We actually live in separate cities now. So I live in Oakville. He lives in Windsor still. So yeah, but he’ll be probably spending some time down here and just yeah, fine-tuning some stuff.”

“At this point in my career, I kind of like to keep things safe and intimate a little bit in the training camp right at the end. Just trying to get to the fight healthy. I think all the hard work’s pretty much done at this point. I’ve fought so many times now. So I don’t really feel the need to push it right till the end like that. To the point where, I’m having the hard rounds right at the end or risking injury. It’s no point.”

Source: LowKickMMA.com