Despite his mother’s recent death, Dylan Tuke
isn’t pulling out of the upcoming
PFL Europe 2 card.
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Tuke (7-4) is scheduled to co-headline PFL Europe 2 against
Kane
Mousah (14-6) on June 8 at the Utilitia Arena in Newcastle,
Tyne and Wear, England. The Irish prospect was struck by tragedy
weeks prior as his mother passed away.
However, “The Nuke” refused to pull out of his upcoming fight and
recently explained his decision. According to Tuke, his mother, who
introduced him to mixed martial arts, would have probably slapped
him if he didn’t give his opponent the fight he promised and
definitely wouldn’t have wanted him to miss the opportunity of
fighting on such a big stage.
“So, my mother was a flowing [jiu-jitsu] woman herself. She was a
black belt in her own right. And we promised Kane Mousah
a knock and in three weeks me and him are gonna have a knock,” Tuke
said during the PFL Europe 2 media day.
“So, she’d probably have slapped me more if I’d given up on me
promise and not been a man of me words. So, she would’ve wanted me
to fight. She would’ve wanted me to compete. The only reason I
compete is because of her.
“She got me into martial arts. And it’s a big spotlight for me, you
know what I mean? So, I’ll have her there… She would’ve wanted
it. So, this is where I’m in it. I didn’t even think about pulling
out. There was never a thought in me mind. And there would’ve been
an insult theret o coach, James, they all done put some work into
me every day, but you know what I mean, so yeah, we will have a
fight.”
Mousah also finds it commendable for the Irishman to go through
with the fight despite the tragedy. “I said before I started this
interview, I just want to give my condolences to my opponent, and I
was wanting to show him the respect for being a solid member and
going through with the fight.,” Mousah said. “Because for me
personally I don’t know where my head would be at. I don’t know if
I’d have the strength to do it but to see you here right now ready
to get in there and do the business, I have to respect that I sort
of commend you for that.”
Tuke is coming off a slick submission win over Yazid
Chouchane in December 2023 and is now sporting a 2-1 record
under the PFL banner. Meanwhile, Mousah is on a two-fight slump
with his last win dating back to September 2022, a unanimous
decision over Georgi
Karakhanyan at
Bellator 285.