Las Vegas, NV – UFC middleweight Nick Maximov will look to get back to his winning ways at UFC Vegas 62 where he takes on Jacob Malkoun on Saturday night at the UFC APEX.
Maximov (8-1) suffered the first loss of his career in May when he lost to Andre Petroski. Prior to that he had rattled off 8 straight wins including one on Dana White’s Contender Series and two in the UFC octagon.
The loss however hasn’t really been dealt with just yet.
“I would say I still haven’t even dealt with it in a way. It kind of feels not even real and sh*t still. It was a hard thing to swallow and I hopefully can never have that happen again. That’s probably (the loss) the worst possible outcome ever so I think anything from here on out is going to be a lot better,” Maximov told Cageside Press among other media on Wednesday.
“I was f*cking pissed and upset. I was just disappointed because I didn’t get a chance to show anything and do what I gotta do. That’s what I think was really upsetting.”
After the loss Maximov took some time to find a mental reset of sorts including traveling to Montana to train with Kron Gracie who has been a staple of Nate Diaz’s training camps for years.
And then came UFC 279.
“Crazy man, that was crazy. Nate’s a G forever. I think the way Khamzat (Chimaev) approached that sh*t showed his true colors. That’s some b*tch made sh*t. I don’t care what you do at the end of your career or whatever bro, you can’t be doing sh*t like that you know? And props to Tony (Ferguson) for stepping up too,” Maximov said.
“Taking a fight with Nate Diaz on one day’s notice is not easy.”
After Chimaev missed weight at UFC 279 the top three fights on the main card where shuffled. Diaz took on Ferguson in the main event and Chimaev was set up against Kevin Holland in the co-main event.
“That was a great ending. Like a storybook ending really. I don’t think it’d happen to anyone else but Nate. It was cool. I would say though that we always have crazy sh*t happen to us all the time so it wasn’t like….we were not even that trippin on it, but everyone else was. The whole press conference getting canceled and stuff. I thought it was an over exaggeration and everything, but who knows,” he said.
Opposite Maximov in the octagon will be Jacob Malkoun who himself is also coming off a loss.
“I think he’s good. I think he’s solid everywhere he comes from a really good camp. It’s a tough fight, but every fight’s a tough fight. He’s definitely better than my last few opponents, than my last guy but I don’t even want to diss him like that, but he’s really well rounded. He’s definitely I think could be a top ranked guy one day,” Maximov said.
Even with a win at UFC Vegas 62 the loss to Petroski still hangs heavy on Maximov.
“That’s gonna burn forever man, and I would like to get that back one day, but I gotta work my way up. Props to him, but I’ve got to do my thing too.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Nick Maximov above. Maximov takes on Jacob Malkoun at UFC Vegas 62 on Saturday October 15th at the UFC APEX.
