Bolton mixed martial arts star Jack Cartwright returns to the big stage on Saturday determined to get back to winning ways at OKTAGON 61 in Czechia.

The 30-year-old former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion is looking to take step towards becoming OKTAGON MMA world champion when he faces former title holder Mate Sanikidze in Brno.

His 25-year-old Georgian opponent is the former OKTAGON MMA featherweight champion who made the move to bantamweight earlier this year.

But after his defeat to bitter rival Jonas Magard in Newcastle in January, Cartwright is more determined than ever to be the one taking a step towards the vacant bantamweight crown - and cannot wait for fight night.

He said: “It’s going to be a high-pace and energetic fight, with lot of frantic exchanges and the more exchanges there are, the more chance there is of me catching him. If I do that, I will put him over.

“It’s not going to be a real slow, technical fight. I am going to push the pace and make stuff happen. If the fight goes long, I will either choke him or punch him on the button.

“I just want to win, that is the only goal now. I don’t care about belts, rematches, money or goals, I just want to get in a fight and win.

“After I’ve won a fight, I want to go back in the cage for another fight and then go and beat that guy as well.

“I want to walk around knowing that I have beaten every guy walking around in my weight class, or I at least can beat you.

“I could fight Jonas all day long, as an example. But he just beat me on that night, so I need to focus on what is happening next before I get carried away.

“I’ve murdered my sparring and my wrestling, so I’ve been lifting heavier and fighting harder in training and I know in the back of my mind that Sanikidze is my next target.

“As far as goals go, I want to win the next fight as convincingly and as devastatingly as possible.

“I’m going to fight all of the best bantamweights, hopefully I get the chance to fight Jonas again and right the wrongs.

“I have just got to deal with this guy and then hopefully I get a title shot and it is against Jonas.

“If it’s not him, I will fight anyone else in the division. I don’t know too many names in terms of opponents in this division and I’ve always said that.

“But there are a few people I fancy having a tear up with, so I will win in Brno and I’ll be ready to go for whoever is next and fancies a dust-up.

“I’ve always said yes to a fight, I’ve never said no to a fight. I’m not here to pick my fights, I just want to fight.

“I would fight Jonas for free, I would never get bored of fighting him. He fought well on the night and I just didn’t turn up and deliver to my capabilities.

“That is just part of the sport; people can spin it and say what they want, but we both turned up and he just fought better than I did.

“If I ever got the chance to run it back, I would take it with both hands and you would see a completely different performance.

“However, I have got Sanikidze firmly in my sights first, so I am going to deal with him first and then whatever will come after that will come.”

While support for the Harwood fighter will naturally be less overseas, he is relishing a first visit to Czechia this weekend.

But he know it will only be a memoarble trip if he returns to Bolton as a winner.

He added: “I’m quite well travelled, but I’ve never been to the Czech Republic, so I’d rather go and fight the best and enjoy it.

“I’m very excited, I went to Ostrava to watch one of the shows out there and the fans were really good.

“The atmosphere was so good, so I’m really excited to see what Brno can offer. I want to take the whole experience in and put on a good show for the fans.

“There are pros and cons to fighting away, in the same way there are pros and cons to fighting at home.

“I’ve grown up competing around the country and internationally so you have to take the rough with the smooth.