Saturday night will see Dylan Tuke return to the Smart Cage for the first time in 2024 when he takes on Kane Mousah in the co-main event of PFL Europe Newcastle.
Since signing with the promotion last year, 'The Nuke' competed three times in 5 months and currently holds a 2-1 promotional record.
Reflecting on his time with PFL, so far, the Irishman has enjoyed his activity and the level of opposition he has faced. Speaking to Fighters Only, he said:
"My experience with PFL has been good. I would prefer to be making more money but we are all underpaid in this sport. I got a bit of a bump up in pay this year but I still want more. I am money hungry at my old age.” He joked.
"The promotion is good, I just like beating people. Beating people with high names, at a high level, or what I consider to be a high level and I just like to go out there and showcase my level."
Still testing himself against the best, Tuke faces another tough challenge in the shape of UK MMA veteran Mousah. Previewing the contest, 'The Nuke' is unsure as to what to expect from his opponent on Saturday night, but is excited to once again be testing himself against a top opponent.
"I really don’t know what to expect from him. He is a game guy, I am expecting a tough guy, a tough veteran of the sport and I look forward to it."
For the last two years 'The Nuke' has resided in Scotland, fighting under James Doolan at Higher Level. Not only has the gym helped him come as an athlete monumentally, but the way in which Doolan has changed Tuke's life in and out of the cage, is something he will be forever grateful for. He said:
"James in general is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn’t ask for anything better in my life than meeting James. I talk him up so much but he is the best coach I have ever trained under, he is by far the best coach in the world. He is unbelievable. I have never met someone that cares so much, as a person he has made me a better person but as well as that he has made me a complete martial artist. I think everyone can see that now, that I am one of the most feared Lightweights in the whole of Europe and I would do anyone in the world. I don’t have a Lightweight that I fear, anyone can get it. Especially with James at Higher Level, I am golden."
Tuke is one of three fighters representing the gym at the Utilita Arena on Saturday night, with Mark Ewen and Luke Shanks both also competing. The 28-year-old is relishing the chance to compete alongside his teammates, with him and Ewen working with each other an extensive amount, ahead of the fight night.
"It’ll be great to be there with Mark and Luke. You know, me and Mark have been working together now for three years and he is my brother, one of my closest friends, especially here in Scotland and someone that I hold very close to my heart. We are main sparring partners, main training partners and I am looking forward to sharing the light with him and pulling him into interviews and getting some cameras on him with me because he is going to be the future, he is just a great kid. I know it means a lot to James and that means a lot to me. The only thing I want out of life is to make James Doolan happy and if that’s possible, that’s possible and we will even drag Shanks in along the way."
