UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas is looking to tell his own unique story.
Bukauskas was the center of many headlines in Lithuania before making his UFC debut in July of 2020. When he entered the cage that evening, he would be the second Lithuanian to ever compete under the UFC banner after Julija Stoliarenko. He became the first ever Lithuanian to earn a victory for the promotion by finishing Andreas Michailidis inside the first round that evening.
“In terms of me representing my flag and my country in the UFC was a huge thing,” Bukauskas told Cageside Press recently. “No one else had ever done it before. To be the first Lithuanian male athlete to be signed by the UFC and get a win in the UFC was a huge thing. I felt very patriotic and I felt like I’m representing my home country which is a very small country in comparison.”
Bukauskas proudly represents both Lithuania and Great Britain. Bukauskas moved to England at three-years-old and hoists the flags of both nations when he competes.
His sophomore appearance was against ranked light heavyweight Jimmy Crute in October. It was a bout where he would go on to suffer his first loss in over four years. For Bukauskas it was a moment of self-realization.
“Every fighter’s journey is different and that’s his personal journey,” Bukauskas told us. “Everyone’s journey is completely different. My journey is my journey. Every fighter has their own unique story to tell, which is why it’s so interesting to see the lives of fighters and their careers unfold.”
The “Baltic Gladiator” will be returning to the Octagon on March 27 when he faces fellow European Michał Oleksiejczuk. He will be looking to rebound off of a devastating defeat, and believes stylistically this is a fight that favors him.
When asked what can be expected of him, Bukauskas replied, “You can expect the ‘Baltic Gladiator 2.0’. This is going to be the side you should have been seeing in my last couple of fights. It’s going to be devastating, it’s going to be vicious, and it’s going to be a side to me that people wouldn’t really expect. I can’t wait to go out and show it.”
UFC 260 takes place on March 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the main event Francis Ngannou challenges Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Catch the full interview with UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas above. We discuss his relationship with his father and head coach, background in basketball and Jon Jones’ move to heavyweight.
