Ion Cutelaba faces Kennedy Nzechukwu on Saturday in the 205-pound co-main event match at UFC Vegas 65.
After a very brief turnaround, Ion Cutelaba returned to the UFC octagon this Saturday to take on Kennedy Nzechukwu in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 65. Cutelaba will be looking to get back into the win column after losing in the first round to Johnny Walker in September.
However, some things in life are more than just winning or losing. The mixed martial arts world was in mourning last week over the death of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Among the fighters on Saturday’s UFC Vegas 65 card, Ion Cutelaba stands out as someone who was involved in a relationship with Johnson that stretched far beyond the workplace.
“First of all, I want to offer my condolences to his family and friends. This is a huge loss to the entire community. This is a huge loss to the world. It is a huge loss to my family,” Cutelaba told FanSided’s Amy Kaplan at UFC Media Day through an interpreter. fragile. Life can end at any moment, so you must live your life the way you want it. You must live your life to the fullest. You never know when it will end, and as we can see, it can be the spur of the moment and you may lose someone important to everyone.”
“When people watch fights, they see fighters inside the octagon or inside the cage, they see attackers or they see someone who is more than just human. But what this really shows is that we all have weaknesses, and again, it’s really unfortunate.”
Ion Cutelaba says he fixed the bugs from his last fight
Saturday will see Cutelaba’s shortest fight turnaround of his UFC career to date. Despite the short turnaround, Cutelaba insists he has righted the wrongs that have plagued him in recent losses.
“I did a lot. I really worked on my mistakes. The reason I accepted this fight was precisely to show myself that I had improved on those mistakes that I made last time,” Cotilaba said.
As much physical as MMA is, the psychological aspect of the sport can be said to be just as important. Despite being going through a rough patch in his career, Cutelaba insists he doesn’t struggle with the psychological side of the sport, or worry about his future with the UFC.
“A lot of it is the psychological state a fighter gets after a loss,” Kotilaba said. “Fortunately, I don’t have any psychological issues so to me it doesn’t mean much yeah, I lost twice in a row. But the important thing is that I know what I’m ready for, I know what I’ve prepared for, I know what I’ve worked so hard for.”
“I mean, our job is at stake every time we go out in the cage, this might be our last fight no matter what. But honestly, two losses in a row, it might even be three losses in a row, but I don’t think I’m going anywhere.
With that in mind, Cutelaba expects Saturday’s match with Nzechukwu to be a fight fans won’t soon forget.
“I think it’s going to be a really gunfight, I think it’s going to be exciting, and I think this fight is going to be remembered for a very long time,” said Kotilaba.
“He’ll lose his mind there. When he sees what’s in front of him…he doesn’t know what to prepare for. So he’ll see a tornado in there…I’ll kick him hard. If I have to die in that octagon, I’ll drop myself entirely into that octagon. I’ll show you what I’m made of.”
