Devin Clark say his real UFC 288 opponent is coach Sayif Saud, expects to finish Kennedy Nzechukwu and face a ranked fighter next: “After I’m in the top-15, I’ll start talking my shit”

Devin Clark has an interesting wrinkle ahead of his UFC 288 fight against Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Clark is coming off an upset win over Da Un Jung in February and will now face Nzechukwu in an intriguing light heavyweight fight. Clark is well aware of how dangerous Nzechukwu can be, but he believes the Fortis light heavyweight is overlooking him.

“He’s one of those guys who can be really dangerous and be at the top of the division. Another tough guy, I really don’t get too many easy fights or guys on their way up to begin contenders,” Clark said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “On paper, it probably looks like a good fight for him one that he could win somehow, in reality, it’s a shitty fight for him, especially because I just fought a tall guy. It’s a similar mindset to the last fight, as long as I commit and have that courage to commit, it’s going to be a really good night, and probably a finish, I really see a finish against this guy.”

Although Clark is fighting Nzechukwu at UFC 288, he says that isn’t his real opponent come Saturday night. Instead, he says his opponent is Nzechukwu’s head coach, Sayif Saud.

Devin Clark has fought Ryan Spann and Alonzo Menifield who were both coached by Saud and Clark and has gone 1-1 against them. Meaning, he views this as the chance to get one up on Saud and eventually earn his way to a rematch against Spann.

“Funny you say that, it is a thing for me. Kennedy is just a pawn, my real opponent is the coach Sayif, that is the real opponent. He thinks he knows me, I think I know how to get around him, it’s a little back-and-forth,” Clark said. “It’s the third fight against him, so this is really against the coach. He is the one game planning and he has seen me cage-side twice. It’s a good rivalry and he is a good coach, but I think I have his number and settle the score and get up on him. They will have a chance to get it back as I’ll rematch Ryan Spann after I whoop up Kennedy.”

Even though Clark is the betting underdog, he is confident he has all the tools to finish Kennedy Nzechukwu. Although Nzechukwu is a taller light heavyweight, ‘Brown Bear’ spent years training with Jon Jones so he knows how to deal with the size.

“I’m not quite there yet in my visualizations, I’m not quite there yet but I do have it played out to set up a finish whether that’s on the feet or ground and pound or stuff like that,” Clark said.

If Clark does get the stoppage win over Nzechukwu at UFC 288, he believes he should enter the rankings come Tuesday. Then, once he’s in the rankings, he plans to start calling people out and start climbing the ladder.

“It should put me in the top-15, and after I’m in the top-15, I’ll start talking my shit. I’m trying to skip the line. I’ve earned the right to call out these guys from 15 all the way to four or five. I’ve fought these guys, and they got me that night but these guys beat me years ago,” Clark concluded.

Do you think Devin Clark will finish Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 288?