Reaching that level is certainly something Baeza wants to achieve, but those future ambitions run a distant second to stepping into the Octagon this weekend and handling his business.
“I focus on each fight as it comes, so my focus is just on beating Khaos Williams; doing the right things in the gym to make sure I’m ready to fight Khaos,” Baeza said when asked about returning after suffering the first loss of his career, espousing a version of the “0-0 every time I fight” philosophy adhered to by one of Saturday’s headliners, former featherweight champ Max “Blessed” Holloway. “I’m not thinking about Ponzinibbio because I’m not fighting him; I’m fighting Khaos.
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“I haven’t been focused on anything else, so hopefully that results in me getting the win,” he added. “It’s about who’s in front of me now, nothing else.”
And while he’s familiar with Williams’ handiwork and cognizant of the weapons he brings to the table this weekend, Baeza’s focus is on getting to compete and prove himself much more than it is on who he’s sharing the Octagon with in Las Vegas.
“I’ve seen him fight, he’s a tough guy, but to be honest, it’s all the same to me at this point,” he said when asked about the pairing. “I wanted to fight, I wanted to get in there and prove I’m one of the better welterweights in the division, if not the world.
“I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t celebrate or get nervous; it’s just, ‘Okay, let’s fight.’
“I’m in the UFC to fight,” he added. “I don’t pick fights. If you’re in my division, it’s more than likely we’re going to cross paths, so let’s make it happen.”
As for how he sees things playing out when the cage door closes on Saturday, his answer mirrored his prediction.
“I plan on making it a short night,” he said quickly. “I don’t get paid by the hour.”
