With former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt dropping off the UFC Vegas 100 card, it’s another 135’er, Ricky Turcios, moving into the co-main event.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 29 back in 2021, it’s a big step up for Turcios (12-4), who has struggled to fight with regularity, competing just three times since his TUF victory. And the 31-year old has no issues with the opportunity coming in the barren UFC Apex.
“This is my first time being the co-main event. I love fighting here at the Apex. I walked in here today, I smell it, I was like ‘oh yeah man I remember living here in 2021, in The Ultimate Fighter tournament,'” Turcios stated during this week’s UFC Vegas 100 media day. “My claim to fame. I know today I’m at my best. I’m at my best, I’m at my oldest, and I’m prepared to perform to my best this weekend and put on my best performance yet. Let’s go!”
Turcios faces Benardo Sopaj this Saturday, while looking to bounce back from a loss to Mexican standout Raul Rosas Jr. over the summer. Asked what takeaways he had from that fight, and whether it was just a bad night at the office, Turcios replied that “I guess I would say, on the bad yeah, bad night at the office. I knew that when I went into the fight, I wasn’t at my best that night. And I fought a strong opponent as well.”
“And then technically, you’re always looking to improve too,” he continued. “You go back to the drawing board: what are we going to do better for the best time? But also deep in my heart, I 100% can say from the bottom of my heart, emotionally I was off, my feng shui was off, because I was super sick with the fever and everything like that. It wasn’t my best performance, it was a bad night at the office for sure, you live and you learn.”
There were of course positives to take away even in a loss, Ricky Turcios noted.
“Hey, life goes on baby. Life goes on. On a positive note, I would say what I took back too from the previous fight in June though, the positive was hey man, no matter what obstacle was in my way, no matter how bad I felt or whatever, how sh*tty the circumstances were, I still believed in myself, and I still went for it with all my heart. I fought as hard as I could. And I wasn’t going to back down or falter, because that’s a testament to the toughness that I have. I know I’m one of the baddest on the planet. I’m a beast, and this weekend, here we go, November 9, it’s time to shine once again. Come on!”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 100 media day appearance by Ricky Turcios above.
