The Ultimate Fighter 29 winner Bryan Battle is excited and “ready to go” ahead of his co-main event scrap with Ange Loosa at UFC Vegas 88 this Saturday.
It’s a fight Battle feels he’s earned through his performances in the UFC, not just as a TUF champ, and one that he’s excited for. In particular, for the man he’s facing.
“Namely the opponent. I think he’s really under rated, he’s very very dangerous, very very though, and he’s a good person for me to showcase my skills against,” Battle (10-2) said during the UFC Vegas 88 media day. “Since I’ve gotten to the UFC, there’s a lot of areas I’ve improved in, a lot of areas I’ve gotten better. Since the last fight, there’s a lot of places I’ve gotten better and improved in. Someone this tough, someone this good really gives me a chance to show how much better I’ve got.”
Coincidentally, the Battle fight was one Loosa wanted as well, though he was not vocal about it. To Bryan Battle, that doesn’t matter, and at the end of the day he believes Loosa will come to regret his enthusiasm.
“He wants to fight me, he doesn’t want to fight me. Once we start going at it on Saturday night he’s going to realize he doesn’t want to be in there with me. Cool, cool, I’m happy that he got the fight he wanted. That’s good for him.”
UFC Vegas 88 is, you guessed it, back at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The routinely underwhelming cards on paper have elicited groans from the fanbase, even while several have punched above their weight. But even fighters like Battle, more familiar with the Apex than anyone, are ready for a change.
“If you count my TUF fights, which I do, those were against professionals, I have more wins in the Apex than anyone else. I’m just going to add to the list on Saturday,” he stated.
“What I will say is that I am ready to fight in front of big crowds again. Not only am I ready but the people are ready.” Battle pointed out that feedback in comment sections show people wanting to see him fight live. “That’s another thing about this fight, I have to make a statement and show them that I’m the kind of person who can put butts in seats. I can get views. You’ve got to put me in prime time position, because I’m a prime time player.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 88 media day appearance by Bryan Battle above.
