Listening to him, it’s abundantly clear that all of this means a great deal to Fakhretdinov and has him chomping at the bit to not only return to action this weekend and collect another victory, but to make serious headway in the welterweight division as quickly and efficiently as possible.
To that end, he’s been hyper-critical of his initial showing, promising at his media availability immediately following the bout that he would deliver a stronger performance next time out.
“I think I could have tried to win ahead of schedule, but it turned out to be pretty good too,” he said, reflecting on his summer triumph now that he’s had a few months to let it sink in. “I had to fight all three rounds after a down time and not take risks.
“Now I want to get the first early victory in the UFC, and step-by-step to capture the American public, and rise in the rankings!”
After training for his debut at American Top Team, Fakhretdinov didn’t receive his visa early enough to return to the South Florida outpost.
Instead, he remained in Moscow, working out of the Evolve Gym alongside Bellator middleweight Anatoly Tokov, UFC competitor Denis Tiuliulin, “and many other guys that you have not even heard of, but (who) are very, very strong; sometimes even too much.”
As Fakhretdinov noted, Battle is a “formidable rival” to face this weekend — a younger, taller, longer fighter coming off an impressive finish in his first showing in the 170-pound ranks, and already boasting a three-pack of victories inside the Octagon.
It’s a solid step up in competition for the focused and motivated “Gladiator,” but after a long wait prior to his promotional debut, he intends to continue giving his all in order to keep winning, and winning over the UFC audience.
“This means that you should not give up in difficult situations, but go towards your goal no matter what,” he said when asked about closing out the year with a second consecutive UFC win. “Finishing the year with two victories in a row means that next year I will work even harder!
“I will do my best to show the best performance!” he added.
As for what people can expect in 2023 and beyond, the energetic Fakhretdinov keep it pretty simple.
“Shows! Let’s put on a show!”
