UFC Vegas 56: Jeff Molina Frustrated With Performance But Says “I Won That Fight”

Las Vegas, NV — Jeff Molina was frustrated with his performance at UFC Vegas 56 on Saturday.

Molina picked up his third UFC win in a very close, controversial split decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov. All but one media score went in favor of Zhumagulov. Yet while most feel he lost the fight, Molina believes he won the fight on damage — which is the first criteria in judging.

Even then, however, Molina (11-2) was frustrated with his performance.

“I’m a little frustrated with how the fight played out, but that’s fighting, man. That’s fighting,” Molina told Cageside Press in his UFC Vegas 56 post-fight interview. “I’m gonna get better from this fight. Easier to learn off of a win, and I did think I won that fight. Fights are scored off damage; that’s the biggest criteria in the sport. I was looking to do damage. He was looking to hold me against the fence, which, you know, credit to him, he did a good job of holding me against a fence. I wasn’t able to break his lock.”

Molina went on to explain why he was frustrated. “My inability to break the lock. I felt like anytime he tried to advance and actually finish the takedown, I was right back up to my feet. It’s a good game plan, right? Like, hey, ‘let’s freeze Jeff by just holding him. By just getting a body lock around him and not really trying to advance the fight.’ But that’s not how fights are scored. You got to do damage, and I felt like I was trying to f*ck him up, and he was trying to hug me. Again, it’s part of fighting; good on him. But that’s not how you win fights.”

A win is a win, no matter how you look at it. Molina hopes to return to the octagon in October after a vacation to Italy.

Molina also got to react and respond to the backlash he got from wearing rainbow colors as part of Pride Month. When he shared his outfit with the colors this week, he was blasted by hateful comments.

“Dude, it’s f*cking ridiculous. Man, who would have [thought] that in 2022 people are like still— like, who the f*ck cares, bro? Like honestly, it’s not even about being an ally. I am not saying I am not, but it’s like just be a f*cking decent person, like just be a decent human being,” Molina said. “Like judging someone and trying to justify it with religion and saying all sorts of like just spiteful hateful sh*t is crazy to me. It’s mind-boggling. It’s like who cares what who someone wants to be with or like, their sexual preference.”

“I picked the colors because I thought it looked cool and then also it supports a good cause. I will support anything of a community that’s been oppressed and ostracized for some time now for something they can’t help….mind your own business; if it doesn’t concern you, get f*cked.”

Watch the rest of Jeff Molina’s UFC Vegas 56 post-fight press scrum above. More coverage from the event can be found below.