Myles Jury Looks to Showcase Artistry at UFC Fight Night Japan
Artists who put their work on display typically get a sense of accomplishment when people appreciate what's being expressed through the art.
For Myles Jury, the Octagon is his canvas. His fists are the brushes used to cover his surface with the redness that flows from open wounds, illustrating the raw friction of the fight game.
In his time building a 14-0 professional record, Jury has watched other artists — guys like Carlos Condit or Dominick Cruz — and appreciated the work they've put on display throughout the years. Jury took from these artists and applied some of their characteristics to his craft.
But at the end of the day, he says, it's all about putting his own spin on the expression, never conforming to match another style too much.
“I love when people say ‘You remind me of a Carlos Condit or like a Dominick Cruz,’ stuff like that, which I definitely take as a compliment,” he recently told The Great MMA Debate. “But at the end of the day, I always made sure that when I was coming up, I can take skills from each fighter, but I gotta blend them myself and have my own signature and touch to them. It’s kind of like an artist — you can teach an artist basic paints, basic drawings, but it isn’t until that artist takes what he’s learned and processes it through his mind and in his own emotions, and then he paints the perfect picture.”
Jury will look to paint the perfect picture on Saturday in Japan at UFC Fight Night 52. Opposite him will be a local artist that has displayed galleries of work for years in Japan: Takanori Gomi.
The former Pride lightweight champion was once considered an unbeatable force during his reign in the Japanese promotion. Still a formidable foe, Jury analyzed Gomi as the perfect subject with whom to paint the Octagon red. Using the skillset he created over the last six years, Jury is out to showcase his artwork in the most dominant fashion.
“I’m really just looking forward to going out there and showcasing my skills,” he said. “It’s an added plus that I have somebody like a Takanori Gomi to go out there and do my thing against.
“I really believe I have all the skills to go out there and dominate Takanori Gomi.”
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