Karl Roberson: Making the Most of Added Attention

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Karl Roberson has built a reputation as a middleweight with tremendous potential during his six appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 29-year-old Dana White’s Contender Series alum will meet Marvin Vettori—an opponent of similar standing within the sport—at UFC Fight Night 171 on Wednesday in Jacksonville, Florida. Roberson views the bout as an opportunity to make the most of a difficult, high-stakes situation.

“He’s definitely one of the top people I’ve faced [in the UFC], and I’m looking forward to it, but a lot of people are unappreciated in our division right now because we have such a stacked division,” Roberson told Sherdog.com. “A lot of the younger guys are getting overlooked, so now you get to make more of an [impression] because there’s a lot going on [with the pandemic]. We get to fight, and it’s good for the people because everybody needs some fights right now and fighting is going to make everybody feel better.”

In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, the New Jersey native discussed trying to train under strict social-distancing orders, revealed how the extended layoff has impacted him financially and provided insight on whether or not a win over Vettori would push him into the Top 15 at 185 pounds.