History will be made at Apollo 1 on May 18, where Cedric Lushima faces off against UK MMA veteran Jason Radcliffe for the inaugural light heavyweight crown in Wavre, Belgium.

It’s an opportunity that excites the up-and-coming Belgian star who, at 4-0, is looking to make the next step in his career by capturing his first title as a pro.

Ahead of his title tilt, Lushima sat down with Apollo MMA to bring everyone up to speed on his progress, and to set the scene for his upcoming bout with Radcliffe.

“Basically what happened after my second pro fight, my second win, I suffered a major injury that required 10 months of rehabilitation,” he explained.

“And I had a comeback fight after that, but it was so short that I didn’t have time to regain my feelings.”

That fight, a ground-and-pound finish of France’s Jean-Charles Mattard, lasted just 15 seconds, and Lushima knew that he hadn’t really blown off the cobwebs and really tested his body after his lengthy injury layoff.

“So, we can say that the fight I had previously, against Ghassen Abdenabi, was my comeback fight,” Lushima continued.

“And it was a real war, honestly. But I knew I was better prepared mentally, physically, and I was ready to do anything to win. So victory was ours.”

That fight pushed Lushima to the limit as he battled all the way to the scorecards with Abdenabi, and eventually ran out the majority decision victor. It put valuable rounds in the bank, shook off any cage rust, and proved to Lushima that he was fully back, and ready to level up.

And that’s exactly what he’ll need to do on May 18, when he headlines at La Sucrerie against former Cage Warriors middleweight title challenger Radcliffe for the inaugural Apollo MMA 205-pound title.

Apollo MMA

Initially, Lushima was booked to face 1-8 Serbian Ivan Caric in a non-title contest, but that all changed when he received the call offering him the biggest opportunity of his career so far – a shot against seasoned veteran Radcliffe for the promotion’s first-ever world championship belt.

“Honestly, I was happy, is all I can tell you,” he said.

“I was happy, excited, because this is a better opponent than the one I was supposed to face – and it’s for the belt, so I can’t say no to that. When Apollo called me about this, I was compelled to accept.”

He may be conceding a colossal experience advantage to his opponent – it’ll be pro fight number five for Lushima, compared to fight number 30 for Radcliffe – but the Belgian prospect is full of confidence that he has what it takes to defeat the Englishman and become Apollo MMA’s first champion.

“The one thing I tell myself, and I tell people the same thing. I consider, ‘I’m that guy,’ as they say in English. So that means that I’m him!” he said.

“If someone can do it, it’s me. And that’s what I aim to prove in the next fight on May 18.”

Lushima knows that, after four solid victories so far as a professional, it’s a chance to kick his career into a higher gear, and he’s grateful to the people he has around him as he continues on his mixed martial arts journey.

“After my amateur fights, I went straight to the pros, and I didn’t have easy fights,” he said.

“But fortunately, I have a great team around me, both outside and inside the gym. Whether it’s management or coaches, they’ve really helped me. I’m now at 4-0 with three finishes and we’re excited to see what the next fight brings.”

And he had a word for the fans who have backed him during his career so far.

“I just want to thank everyone who has been supporting me from the beginning,” he said.

“They’ve really given me strength, even those who doubted me, and I want to assure them that, on May 18, everyone who pays out of their pocket to come and see me will get their money’s worth! And it’s going to be a main event like they’ve never seen before.

“I don’t think Belgium has ever had a main event like this like this, and they won’t see one like it for a while, so I’ll see you on May 18 for an exceptional fight.”