Calf Kick Sports

Josh Reed is a veteran of the fight game, a staple who spent most of his career thriving in the Cage Warriors promotion, and now he’ll make his PFL debut in Newcastle. That debut will see Reed challenging the young and undefeated Ibragim Ibragimov in a fight that could catapult the winner.

After 21 career fights to his name, Reed got the call to be part of the PFL Europe roster, and his first fight will be no easy task. The undefeated Ibragimov is one of the brightest young fighters in the entire sport, but an opportunity to hand him his first loss is something that excites Reed.

In an interview with Calf Kick Sports, Josh Reed discussed what it was like to get the call to fight for a promotion like PFL, his challenge against Ibragimov, and more.

Having 11 finishes in his 13 wins, Reed is a perfect fit for the PFL structure which sees fighters who win by finish get rewarded for more points in their tournaments. Despite having 8 of his 11 wins by submission, Reed says he prefers to win by knockout/TKO when the opportunity is there.

“It’s got to be striking, get the fans up, get the promotion on notice, it’s got to be with the hands. But to be honest, I’ll take a win any way it goes.”

Taking a win however it comes is certainly the plan against Ibragimov and as for the challenge, Reed believes it’s a fight that he matches up very well in.

“I think I match up very well to be honest. When they announced the fight, I checked his record, I will be his toughest test to date. I think I match everywhere, he’s obviously a wrestling-heavy guy, he’s obviously good at what he does, he’s undefeated for a reason, I respect that. I’m ready for anything.”

Watch the video above for the full interview with Josh Reed ahead of his PFL promotional debut in Newcastle.