Jhonoven Pati returns to action this Friday at AKA 16, streamed exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
Pati (6-4) has been out of action since his loss to Jaime Pickett last season on Dana White’s Contender Series. He fought Pickett in the main event of week four; however, he would lose second-round TKO.
Pati believes that the fight could have gone on a little longer.
“I’m going to be completely honest, and I’m not being biased because it was me in the cage; I was not out at all,” Pati said in an exclusive interview with Cageside Press. “If you catch the clip, I had tripped when I was finally starting to move my feet- because I woke up and was like ‘I should probably move my feet’. My feet had crossed over, and he had hit me, so when he hit me one more time, I tripped, but I was cognizant of everything that was going on. I had turned immediately, getting ready for the follow-up shots, and it was over.”
While Pati thinks it was an early stoppage, he isn’t using that as an excuse.
“Do I believe it was an early stoppage? Yes. But I also believe in not putting the referee in that position. It was up to me. So, it’s not an excuse. I know people are going to see this video and say I have an excuse. No. I should not have put the referee in that position,” Pati said.
“It would have been nice to go out on my shield, you know what I mean, you gotta kill me in there.”
Pati is back to action this Friday for the first time since his loss, going up against Chauncey Foxworth. The pair were actually scheduled to fight before ‘The Samoan Savage’ got the call to the fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, so they are familiar with each other.
“I like the match-up. I don’t think he stands out in any part of the game like he’s not a superior striker or superior wrestler or superior jiujitsu guy-from what I’ve studied. But, he is a great all-around fighter, like he’s well in every area, uh, he’s above average,” Pati said. I think he is an exciting fighter. I think his accolades, as far as what he brings to the table, is something that the UFC will see that I’m not fighting bums to try and get back to them.”
Pati predicts a finish in his fight with Foxworth and says he thinks people will watch his last fight and think they can just rush him, just like Pickett did. He says it won’t work.
“I know what guys are going to do when they watch my last fight. They’re going to come out and rush, and that’s just the wrong answer. It is just the wrong answer for guys. If that is his game plan, I hope it is because we’re prepared for that. But I honestly see myself finishing him in the second round, whether it be on the feet or on the ground. It usually ends up on the ground; Jaime is a dime a dozen to finish me on the feet. Who knows, Chauncey might surprise me,” Pati said.
Check out the rest of the interview about where Pati talks about his football career, losing on the Contender Series, fighting on Fight Pass, and what is next. Jhonoven Pati fights Chauncey Foxworth this Friday at AKA 16, streamed exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
