DAVID Galbraith has never been afraid to risk ultimately looking a little foolish by mercilessly winding up his opponents in the run-up to a fight.
Before his last bout, against Adam Stevenson at On Top 5, Galbraith turned up at the weigh-ins wearing a giant, prosthetic rubber nose – a none too subtle dig at Stevenson's own hooter.
On that occasion, it turned out fine for the 27-year-old Glasgow fighter as he earned a unanimous decision victory over the visibly angered Stevenson.
But ahead of his fight with Bobby McVitie at On Top 6 this weekend, Galbraith has much more to lose than merely another MMA fight. This will be the third time the old foes have met, with the current score standing at one win apiece.
The rubber match, as fight fans like to call these trilogy deciders, will settle once and for all who is the better mixed martial artist – the outspoken Glaswegian with a game plan for every occasion, or the experienced Judo black belt from Greenock.
Still, Galbraith is trying to get inside his opponent's head with a typical array of insults and it is McVitie's recently acquired facial hair that has caught the attention of 'The Gladiator'.
Galbraith said: "That beard is just ridiculous. I wear a Gladiator helmet for my entrance to the cage, but I don't wear it to the shops.
"Bobby, you're not Leonidas. It's not going to protect your chin or make you fight like him. Bring your top game because I'm ready and I've been feeding you loads of lies to make you think I've been partying when I've been training my ass off.
"Bobby comes from a Judo background and pumps a lot of weights to look good. Psychologically he is weak and he's only fighting me for money."
Galbraith, who has a professional record of seven wins and five losses, is so determined to win the third in the series of his clashes with McVitie that he has spent part of his training in Thailand with the Phuket Top Team.
He said: "I've been working loads of striking and wrestling with some really high level guys in Thailand. The Thais are the best in the world at striking so I know that part of my game is up to scratch.
"My wrestling coaches have been the Leone brothers. Anthony Leone, who I have been working with in particular, has fought on shows such as Bellator, Strikeforce and the WEC and has a solid grappling background.
"Cardio has been a big focus as they like to push you hard here, which is made twice as difficult due to the heat and humidity."
Galbraith also questioned McVitie's cardio, saying the Judo specialist will be looking for an early finish as he won't want the fight to go beyond the first round.
He said: "I don't want an early finish, I want it to be a long hard fight and I want Bobby to suffer for the whole fight. I love fighting so that's what I'm coming for.
"This means more to me than any fight or any title. This fight isn't about my career, it's about settling a score and showing who is best between me and Bobby. I know I'm the better fighter."
In this kind of form, one can only imagine what Galbraith has planned for Friday's weigh-ins.
*On Top 6 takes place at the Play Drome in Clydebank this Saturday, October 6. The card also featured a bantamweight title fight between champion David Aranda, from Spain, and Frenchman Olivier Pastor well as a fight for the vacant featherweight title between Scot Graham Turner and Italian Gianluca Scottoli. For the full fight card and tickets, visit www.ontoppromotions.co.uk
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