Soukhamthath answers the bell
Woonsocket native to fight Sanders at Fight Night 123 Dec. 9
Woonsocket MMA fighter to enter UFC fight
Woonsocket native Andre Soukhamthath was frustrated on his flight back from Mexico City to his home in Florida following his splitdecision loss to Alejandro Perez on Aug. 5.
The UFC bantamweight was frustrated that, after winning the first round with counterstrikes, he couldn’t finish off Perez. He was frustrated that he lost his second straight UFC fight by split decision.
More than anything though, he was frustrated he was only bringing one check home to his wife, Jamie Thompson, and their child.
Soukhamthath doesn’t want that to happen again.
“You don’t really get over a fight like that,” Soukhamthath said Wednesday night. “I really felt like I won that fight, and at the same time I felt like I could’ve ended that fight, too, when I watch the video. I wasn’t mad or angry, I was just sad from me and my family. When you lose a fight you only come home with one check. When you win you come home with two.”
Soukhamthath wasn’t sure when his next chance to earn two paychecks would come, but the opportunity came last week when Brian Caraway suf- fered an injury which forced him to pull out of a fight with Luke Sanders on Dec. 9 in UFC’s Fight Night 123 in Fresno, Calif.
Even though he normally takes 6-8 weeks to get his weight down to the 135-pound bantamweight limit, Soukhamthath took the fight with less than three weeks notice.
“For me to be doing this in three weeks when fight camp is normally six to eight weeks, it’s a little tough, but I’m always training,” Soukhamthath said. “Getting my weight down is the hardest part. I’m always in shape and I’m always sharp.”
Sanders (11-1) has only fought three times in the last three years. The Clarksville, Tenn. native submitted Maximo Blanco with a rearnaked choke in his first UFC appearance in Jan. 2016. Sanders’ ascension up the bantamweight ladder took a big hit at UFC 209 when he suffered a second-round defeat to Iuri Alcantara thanks to a kneebar.
Sanders, nicknamed “Cool Hand,” has recorded six victories by knockout, while Soukhamthath has never been stopped in his 16 fights.
“I think it has a lot of potential to be a great fight,” Soukhamthath said. “We’re both tough guys and what I mean by that is we don’t take any crap from anybody – outside the cage or inside the cage. We don’t have any quit in us. That right there should make for a good fight. His toughness and his ability to ground people out can be dangerous. I’m ready for it, I’ve seen it all.”
“The Asian Sensation” (11-5) has certainly held his own in the sport’s top promotion after dominating the Classic Entertainment & Sports circuit for the better part of five years. The former Villa Novan has gone the distance in split-decision losses to Albert Morales and Perez.
Soukhamthath, who will fly out to Fresno Tuesday, said this fight will make or break his career in the UFC.
“This is definitely a make-orbreak fight for me. My back is against the wall,” Soukhamthath said. “I asked for this fight. A guy got hurt and I took the chance. I asked for what I wished for. I’m not going to let the UFC determine when I fight and when I get paid. I had a chance to dictate that, so I took the opportunity. I’m going full gas pedal to the medal.”
The Perez defeat could turn out to be a blessing in disguise because Soukhamthath said he learned a couple of valuable lessons after dominating the first round with superb counter punching.
“That stinks, but life is deeper than that,” Soukhamthath said. “There are still days where I get down because of that fight, but no more of that because I have this fight. I’m moving forward. What I’ve learned is I have to forget about trying to impress the fans and trying to put on a show.
“I just need to go out and do what I do, and when I do that, I knock people out. I can’t care about what anyone else thinks. It has nothing to do with the judges, they have their jobs and their opinions. It’s really about me. I can’t wait to redeem myself this fight.”
Fight Night 123, which is headlined by a match between veteran featherweight Cub Swanson and undefeated Brian Ortega, can be seen on Fox Sports 1 next Saturday night.
“I just need to go out and do what I do, and when I do that, I knock people out. I can’t care about what anyone else thinks.” – Andre Soukhamthath