Lausa savors first UFC experience
WHILE he is no longer a stranger to the bright lights of combat fight nights, still Filipino mixed martial arts fighter Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa cannot help but savor his first-ever experience in the famed Octagon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and that he is looking forward to more of it as his burgeoning MMA career progresses.
Fought at “UFC Fight Night 91” in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 27 that saw him win over Chinese opponent Yao “The Conqueror” Zhikui by unanimous decision (3027, 30-27 and 30-27), Mr. Lausa, 28, said it was a memorable venture for him, something that still reverberates weeks after.
“It was a very exciting night for me as a fighter. There were a lot of people watching and being lined up with the top MMA top fighters in the world was amazing. I was simply at awed,” said Mr. Lausa in an interview with BusinessWorld early this week.
The first of four fights he signed up for with the world’s biggest MMA organization, Mr. Lausa, now sporting a 7-2 MMA record, did not disappoint and immediately made a good impression in his first UFC outing with the impressive win over Mr. Zhikui.
The win was a product of a lot of hard work and sacrifice, the Filipino fighter said, and that he takes a lot of pride in it.
“While I won in dominating fashion, it was harder than it looked because Zhikui was a tough guy. Even when I thought I already had him he kept on coming back,” said Mr. Lausa, a champion boxer as well as a former titleholder at the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC).
“I really worked hard for it (the win). I studied his moves and sacrificed a lot in training. And it’s a wonderful feeling to win because I knew it was a product of all our work. It was worth it,” he added.
But while he is basking in his initial success in the UFC, Iloilo native Lausa recognizes that he has his work cut out for him in it, seeing firsthand the caliber of fighters that parlaying their wares in the UFC.
“I need to train more. The UFC is a whole new level for fighters like me. In particular, I have to work on my jiu- jitsu and ground and pound. Striking I think I’m better at it. But if I want to succeed in the UFC I have to be well-rounded. I’m still young and there is still time to work on my game but I have to start now,” the flyweight said.
Mr. Lausa also expressed gratitude with the way the UFC is handling him so far since signing up with it in September, saying that the organization is fully supportive as far as lining up fights for him.
The fighter said that he is set to return to the Octagon against a still unnamed opponent in March, which will either be in London or Las Vegas.
“I’m set to return in March, maybe in London or Las Vegas. But I have yet to know my opponent. Hopefully before the year ends it will be clearer. But if I have my way I want my next fight to be in Las Vegas because as a fighter I believe it is the biggest stage,” he said.
But before he goes back to steady training for his next fight, Mr. Lausa shared that he is going to enjoy first the remaining days of what has been a banner 2016 for him both professionally and personally.
“I’ll get back to training in January but before that, I want to enjoy the rest of 2016 first with my family. The year has been marked by a lot of blessings. I won the PXC title in January then I became a boxing champion (winning the interim Philippines Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title) in July. My relationship with my wife, too, is going stronger. Then the chance to be in the UFC and the opportunities it gave me and my family. I’m very thankful for the kind of year I have had,” he said.
“Hopefully it would continue next year,” Mr. Lausa added even as he expressed his hope for the sport of MMA to continue to grow in the country.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the new home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive three-year deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.