Jornel Lugo got past a tough Brian Moore at Bellator 275 on Friday, and despite capturing a unanimous decision win in the fight, the bantamweight acknowledged it was a close one.
“Honestly it felt like a draw to me. He didn’t beat me up, I didn’t beat him up,” Lugo stated following the fight. “I landed more of the shots in the third round, he caught me with a couple of good ones— I don’t know where in the fight exactly, so I don’t how that plays in, but I just thought I didn’t beat him up, he didn’t beat me up. I got the third round though, I’ve got to watch back the first two.”
Asked if the encounter was the toughest fight of his career, Lugo replied “What do you think? Yeah it was!”
While Moore’s record coming in wasn’t dazzling, especially compared to the undefeated Lugo’s own, which improved to 8-0 with the win, records don’t always tell the story.
“14-9, he’s no 14-9,” noted Lugo. “That record, I don’t believe in records. I could be 8-0 right now, but I’m not superman. Every single fight, I’ve got to come in here and respect my opponent, because look, that was 14-8. He’s tough, man.”
Lugo was also asked about having the “great’ Conor McGregor in the building for the event, at the 3Arena in Dublin. Lugo, for one, was anything but starstruck at “The Notorious” being in the house.
“I didn’t see him, but I don’t have respect of persons, I don’t put anybody on a pedestal,” Lugo stated. “I judge people by their actions, not by their status.”
McGregor was in the house in support of teammates, including Sinead Kavanagh, who picked up a win in the co-main event. Lugo’s own victory, meanwhile, still leaves him on the outside, looking in at the bantamweight grand prix, which is expected to launch later this year.
Scott Coker noted Friday, however, that “We’re going to need probably four to six athletes in that bantamweight division to follow along with the tournament in case somebody gets hurt, somebody drops out,” which could give Lugo a window of opportunity.
Watch the full Bellator 275 post-fight press scrum with Jornel Lugo above.
