Jeremiah Wells Fights at Home for UFC 330
Listen to the story
American fighter Jeremiah Wells is preparing for a special UFC bout at UFC 330. This event is important to him because it takes place in his home city, Philadelphia.
Wells will face Myktybek Orolbai, a fighter from Kyrgyzstan. Orolbai has spoken about his personal interests outside of fighting. He says he loves horses and enjoys kok-boru, a traditional Kyrgyz sport played on horseback.
For Wells, returning to fight in Philadelphia feels like coming back to his "home base." Many fighters say that fighting in front of a home crowd gives them extra motivation and support.
Orolbai has described the matchup as a "dream" fight. This suggests that facing Wells is something he has long hoped for in his career.
Both fighters are training hard ahead of UFC 330. Fans are looking forward to seeing how these two different backgrounds and styles come together in the octagon, the eight-sided cage where UFC fights take place.
The event highlights not only the athletes' skills but also their personal stories, from Wells' local roots in Philadelphia to Orolbai's cultural connection to horses and kok-boru in Kyrgyzstan.
Vocabulary7 words
- UFC
- a big organization for mixed martial arts fights
- UFC 330
- the name of a specific UFC event
- Kyrgyzstan
- a country in Central Asia
- kok-boru
- a traditional sport played on horses in Kyrgyzstan
- home base
- the place where someone lives or feels most comfortable
- dream
- something a person really wants to happen
- octagon
- the eight-sided fighting area used in UFC matches
Quiz
Answer key
1. Philadelphia 2. Horses and kok-boru 3. A dream
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
American fighter Jeremiah Wells is preparing for a special UFC bout at _____. This event is important to him because it takes place in his home city, _____.
Wells will face Myktybek Orolbai, a fighter from _____. Orolbai has spoken about his personal interests outside of fighting. He says he loves horses and enjoys _____, a traditional Kyrgyz sport played on horseback.
For Wells, returning to fight in Philadelphia feels like coming back to his _____.
Orolbai has described the matchup as a _____ fight.
Both fighters are training hard ahead of UFC 330. Fans are looking forward to seeing how these two different backgrounds and styles come together in the _____.
Discussion questions
- Why might fighting in your home city be important for an athlete?
- What can we learn about Orolbai from his interest in horses and kok-boru?
- How do personal stories add interest to sports events like UFC fights?
- What do you think 'a dream fight' means for an athlete's career?