“I was hoping for such a fight – I just didn’t want to talk much,” Gladiator said at a press conference after the UFC on ESPN 48 tournament. “In Russia, it’s customary to do, not talk, so I was silent. I hope you enjoyed it. You recently said that I have two victories and not a single delay. I am corrected!
“There are some guys who are taller than me. For example, Neil Magny, Matt Brown. I don’t know what they are doing so high in the rankings, and I can fight both of them in one evening. In principle, I am ready to fight with anyone – whomever the league gives, we will fight with that. It is important for me that these are not my friends, but whoever they give me, I will fight with. Now in the top 15 of the division there are a lot of those who have been sitting idle and not fighting for a long time. UFC needs young blood
The welterweight fight that topped the preliminary card of the event ended just 55 seconds into the first round after the Russian rocked his opponent with a right hand and then finished him with a guillotine choke.