CES mainstay Kris Moutinho, set to take on Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 this Saturday, is ready to showcase his talents in UFC.
Kris Moutinho won the “Sugar Show” sweepstakes ahead of UFC 264. The chance to face UFC’s infamous Sean O’Malley, the undefeated (except his loss to Chito Vera) fan favorite. Moutinho was an unlikely option, a 9-4 underdog from a great regional promotion in CES MMA. It’s a promotion that has sent many fighters onward and upward to the UFC, including Tony Gravely, Rob Font, and many more. Moutinho is the latest alum to earn the opportunity to make the walk to the octagon.
“It feels about the same, nothing this crazy,” Moutinho stated, speaking to Cageside Press ahead of what is a very high profile debut, thanks to the notoriety of his opponent. Not to mention it coming on a Conor McGregor card. “I’ve been in fights before, little more hate on social media, little more love too. So it’s cool man, it’s cool. I’m just ready to go in there, make the weight and go fight. Do what I love to do.”
Moutinho is very well known on the New England regional scene, always taking the toughest fights possible including Tony Gravely, Johnny Campbell and more. This will of course be the toughest test to date for the 28-year old, and standing at a whopping +600 in the Vegas odds isn’t rattling Moutinho in the slightest.
“I didn’t even know about the fight when he announced it, I was getting DM’s telling me I’ll be knocked out before I even knew,” Moutinho told Cageside Press. “I’m grateful, man, I’m grateful. I come from an old school background, we fight whenever, whoever, doesn’t matter how big you are, how small you are. Most of my training partners were 170s, 205ers, heavyweights. I was sparring heavyweights as a young buck,” Moutinho continued.
He’s ready for this moment, he continued. Moutinho’s been telling everybody just that. “If I could scream it from the rooftops, I’ll scream it. I’m ready. I’m ready to go out there and show who I am, show the world that I belong in the UFC. If I’ve got to start big, then I’ll start big. I’m ready for it.”
“Win, lose, or draw, I’m coming to bring a fight, bring a war, and that’s it man.”
Moutinho has a strong belief that you won’t want to miss this one come fight night, as for his prediction, a little extra money in both O’Malley and his pockets.
“Fight of the Night.”
Of course, all that said, Moutinho told us that “there’s always nerves. Nobody ever wants to lose, nobody ever wants to get embarrassed on camera. But right now it feels like everything else. We’ll see if I get in there and freeze like a deer in the headlights. But I don’t think so.”
Instead, the UFC newcomer expects to perform as he always does. “I think I’m going to go out there and fight like I always fight, put my head in his chest and keep swinging. We’re going to go Rocky 4 on him and knock out Drago, dude. That’s where we are.”
Watch our full interview with UFC 264’s Kris Moutinho above. The event takes place this Saturday, July 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more from Kris Moutinho, check out his media day appearance below:
