Rio de Janeiro – UFC middleweight Ihor Potieria revealed he’s had to deal with mental health issues due to the war in his native Ukraine as he gets ready to face Michel Pereira t UFC 301 on Saturday night.
“Two years ago I had problem with my mind. Why? Because everybody knows situation in my country,” Potieria told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“I lost a lot of friends, and I’m crying inside.”
Potieria (21-5) is from Kiev, Ukraine. The country has been defending itself from Russian attacks since 2022. Both sides reports different casualty numbers, but a New York Times article reported casualties were reaching the 500,000 mark.
“I don’t think about the fight. I think just what happened in my country because like I said a lot of people, a lot of my friends, died. I wake up and I cry,” he said.
“Now everything changed with my mind. I’m much stronger inside. The most important thing of all of the fighters (is) to be strong inside.”
At UFC 301 he faces Pereira, but a conversation with UFC middleweight Caio Borralho during fight week brought up an interesting question.
Would Potieria, who considers Borralho a friend, fight him next?
“We came to be friends outside. We work. This is our work,” said Potieria.
“Of course if UFC said we need have fights, I can’t answer it ‘No! This is my friend.’ Everybody (is an) opponent. This is our work. We do (it) to be the best.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Ihor Potieria above. He takes on Michel Pereira at UFC 301 on Saturday night.
