When the UFC sent out the casting call for flyweights this past season, Christian Natividad was originally interested. However, after chatting with his coaches and management about it, they decided to wait for the summer and a chance at Dana White’s Contender Series. Unfortunately for him, that call simply did not come.
With some reflection, Natividad has come to terms with the reality and is ready to do something about it.
“I’m honestly pretty disappointed that I didn’t get called up to the Contenders [Series], but I know what the reason. Even though I’m on a seven-fight win streak as a professional, I need a little bit more finishes,” Natividad said. “I need to show a little bit more aggression in these fights. People love to watch me fight, you know I bring a violent style, but I just need to put these people out.”
While some fighters talk about fighting differently, Natividad decided to make it happen. He hopes a cross-town camp change sparks something within him.
“Pretty much all throughout my career – I’m not just a competitor. I’m a winner, but it’s also about the way that you win and that’s a new focus that I have here now,” he shared. “I actually just switch camps. I’ve moved over to the [MMA] Lab here and I’m here in Phoenix. I’m hoping with this change, I’m able to make some changes and adjustments to my fight style.”
The change to work with John Crouch is not one that he takes lightly. He recognizes that he had a good thing over at Fight Ready MMA, but sometimes we just need to shake things up a bit.
“I just needed a change and it’s nothing against the coaches over at Fight Ready, nothing against the teammates over at Fight Ready. I love all those guys, they great coaches, great teammates and I love the culture over there,” Natividad said. “I just needed a switch. I’ve had five fights as a professional over at Fight Ready and it just wasn’t wasn’t getting me the call that I needed, and it’s it’s nothing against them again. It’s just I needed something different.”
With LFA 220 just around the corner, it’s time for the fruits of those labors to pay off. Although he hasn’t been great at predictions in the past, Natividad knows what he needs here.
“I’ve been wrong on a lot of my predictions,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been right in the sense as far as I win the fight because I every time I made a prediction I’ve won all those fights, but let’s finish this guy.”
He’ll get a chance to do just that at LFA 220 in the co-main event against Jostin Quilca. The fight card begins at 8:30pm and airs on UFC Fight Pass.
You can hear the entire audio of this interview on the latest episode of Top Turtle MMA. The interview airs at 21:18.
