“The added weight stops people from being able to just pull me down to the ground,” Mayes said. “I’m getting more power out of it, and I don’t feel no slower. I feel like I’m able to move with the weight, and as long as my cardio is strong, then the weight don’t matter.”
The physical tinkering has accompanied a mental one, as well, and Mayes hopes he has done enough to finally secure his first UFC win in his third try. He isn’t unfamiliar with the long road, though. Mayes lost in his first Contender Series bout, didn’t earn a contract in his second one despite winning via second-round finish, and finally got the offer when he scored a first-round TKO in 2019.
Against, Roque Martinez, Mayes hopes the third time is the charm in the Octagon once again.
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“It’s still the beginning. It’s a process. Even though I gotta look at the mistakes from the previous fights, I’m going in here not even thinking about the previous fights. I’m going in here looking at this fight and the execution I gotta do to get this win.”
