WORLD-rated Akihiro Gono has vowed to send Nottingham fans home in tears at UFC 89 (Ultimate Fighting Championship) on October 18.

The veteran provides the opposition for Dan Hardy on his UFC debut at the NIA in Birmingham.

Tokyo based Gono said: "I am sorry for Dan Hardy's fans, because I think the English are cool people, but I will be sending them home in tears after I beat him.

"This is the first UFC which has been shown in Japan for a while and I don't want to let the Japanese fans down, like Hardy doesn't want to let his English fans down.

"But beating Hardy in England will be great and I am working very hard in the gym to make that happen."

Hardy arrives in the UFC with a tremendous reputation among Mixed Martial Arts fans – although his opponent admits he is having trouble finding footage of the Outlaw.

"To be honest I've never see him fight," said Gono. "I don't know too much about him. I read somewhere he likes to stand and fight, has a hard left hook and is preparing for this fight in the USA.

"I am more experienced than he is, but he is eight years younger. I tried to get footage of his fights and it was difficult, but I know there are some on YouTube which I will be watching.

"I understand from reading about him he is an exciting fighter, and so I am, so this will be a great fight.

"My goal is to become the UFC welterweight champion of the world. I won my first UFC fight last November – now I have to beat Hardy."

More than 7,000 tickets have already been sold for the UFC's first show in the Midlands, with 4,000 snapped up the first weekend they were available.

Tickets are on sale via ticketfactory.co.uk. UFC 89 will be broadcast live on Setanta Sports 1.