Salt Lake City, UT – UFC lightweight Jared Gordon came into UFC 278 wanting to get back into the winning column and he did so by defeating Leonardo Santos on Saturday night.
Gordon (19-5) overcame a height and reach disadvantage by attacking the body of Santos.
“Yeah I mean…he’s like 6 foot 5, I’m like 5 foot 4. Hard to reach his face. His body’s like right there I’m like looking at his belly button,” Gordon told Cageside Press among other media at his post-fight scrum.
Santos has fought many big names in both MMA and Jiu Jitsu competition. Gordon took tally of that.
“By MMA math, I mean he arm barred Georges St. Pierre in ADCC. So I have a win over Georges St. Pierre now. Which means I have a win over like all the welterweight GOATS,” he said with a laugh.
“The guy’s got wins over some really good guys in the UFC. He was on a 7-fight winning streak I believe in the UFC. Obviously he’s gotten older, he’s on a losing streak. I think his fight against Grant Dawson he was beating him until he got knocked out literally in the last second.”
The win over Santos gives Gordon wins in 4 of his last 5 bouts and sets him up for a big fight next.
“But a big win over a veteran and back in the win column. 4 out of 5 fights I won so I think I’m doing alright right now,” Gordon said.
Next up for Gordon, he hopes, is Paddy Pimblett who is a clear star and up-and-comer in the lightweight division. Any show Pimblett fights in ends up being huge for him and the UFC.
“I mean he called me out after his last fight I think on whatever with Karyn Bryant. We’ve been calling each other out for like 3 years. Nothing malicious I really like him actually. I think he’s funny I think he’s great for the sport. He’s a character and I think he’s preaching a good message. And I think between the two of us, specially him with like his million followers, we can raise a lot of awareness for mental health,” said Gordon.
After his last fight Pimblett used his post-fight interview to raise mental health awareness after a close friend of his took his life. Gordon said that together they can do even bigger things with Pimblett’s message of mental health and Gordon’s recovery from drug addiction.
Now as for where he would like to fight next Gordon had one place in mind. Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Man I’m dying to fight there. I trained at Renzo’s (Gracie) for like 9 years. I used to walk past Madison Square Garden every day. I used to shoot dope in the bathroom right next to Madison Square Garden consistently,” he said.
“That’s my city.”
Watch the full UFC 278 post-fight press conference with Jared Gordon above.
