Kansas City — Bellator vet Gaston Bolanos didn’t get the big finish he’s perhaps best known for, but he nevertheless put on a strong performance at UFC Kansas City on Saturday.
Bolanos went the distance with a game Aaron Phillips, who was returning after an extended layoff. Both fighters had their moments, but Bolanos did far more damage overall, coming away with a unanimous decision win in his first fight to go the distance.
“I expected this fight to be tough. I knew Aaron was going to be a tough fight,” Bolanos (7-3) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “I thought I had him there a couple of times. I probably could have finished him, but it was a great three-round fight, which is something I’ve been looking for for a while.”
“I’ve never won like that, so it was very satisfying.”
Getting in that sort of cage time just ten fights into his MMA career is invaluable, Bolanos agreed.
“It was, it really was. It showed me a lot, especially my first one with a big crowd like that in Kansas City.” Bolanos added that he’s thankful to get that sort of cage time, and wouldn’t mind adding additional minutes to his resume. “I’m looking for more.”
In terms of his performance, “that was not only my UFC debut but it was my bantamweight debut,” Bolanos noted. “I felt great, I felt great making that cut.” Bolanos credited his nutritionist for helping him through the 12 week process to making 135lbs, and later dedicated the win to his coach. He now feels he’s put the weight class on notice.
“A lot of people didn’t think that I was ready for this, and I think I showed today that I belong. I’m ready for more. The bantamweight division I believe is on notice now. That wasn’t the most impressive, I guess, finish, you could say— but I showed my toughness, I showed that I belong.”
Watch the full UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference with Gaston Bolanos above.
