Then the work continues. Enough days of that and you certainly want to punch somebody in the face, especially when Bautista got word that Garbrandt was injured and out of the fight. In stepped Da’Mon Blackshear, but as good as “The Monster” is, he doesn’t have the name recognition of a former world champion.
“This is the one I’ve wanted,” said Bautista of fighting “No Love.” “Either top 15 or a good name and I got a good name, for sure, so I think this one will look really, really good on my resume.”
Order UFC 292: Sterling vs O’Malley
Unfortunately, the fight game rarely goes along with a fighter’s plans. And in the case of Bautista, he’s been patient as he reeled off four consecutive wins and three straight finishes of Brian Kelleher, Benito Lopez and Guido Cannetti, to lift his UFC record to 6-2. The Garbrandt fight was to be his coming out party on a pay-per-view main card. At least he remains on Saturday’s main card, and he’s remained classy throughout his journey to this point.
“I know I’ve had some longer layoffs between COVID coming around and having that (pectoral) injury, and this and that, but I thought rattling off some of those wins, especially after Kelleher, I’d be getting bigger fights, but it is what it is. I’ve only been getting better this whole time and I’ve been proving it. Each fight they’ve given me, I was supposed to beat this guy and I beat him exactly the way I’m supposed to. So all it is, is just more experience for me and I’m active right now, and I feel like I’m in my prime or just getting into it. So I feel like this is the right moment for me. Everything comes together at the right time. If I want something, I’m just going to prove it through my performances and that’s where we’re at right now.”
