Newark — Featherweight Pat Sabatini picked up a decision victory at UFC 328 in Newark, NJ on Saturday, though it wasn’t a performance that went over well with fans.
A bit of a slog of a decision, fans voiced their displeasure inside the Prudential Center and online both during and following the bout. While Sabatini isn’t one to listen to the bellyaching online, he did react to the crowd having their say.
“You take it in, but you don’t let it get to you, you don’t let it deter you from your game plan,” Sabatini (22-5) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “Aware of it, but not effecting me.”
Sabatini referred to Gomis as a “very game, touch opponent” following the bout, and didn’t seem to be in love with his own performance. Instead, he’d call it “motivation to come back better next time.”
“I came in, obviously I want to go for those finishes as much as I can. It’s unrealistic to expect to finish every time, I just feel like I could do better,” Sabatini added. “I could be better in the striking department, better in the grappling department. So you know, I can’t wait for the next one.”
That will hopefully come at a rumored Philadelphia card in August, Sabatini added. His performance of Saturday, meanwhile, came down to a “combination of things,” Pat Sabaini suggested. “He [Gomis] made very good adjustments, and I wasn’t able to make the adjustments I wanted to. That’s what it boils down to, that’s how I’d word it.”
Regardless of what it looked like, the win over Gomis was the fourth straight for Sabatini, putting him in a good spot moving forward. His goal now is the top 15. “I want a ranking, I want a number next to my name. Any time, I’m ready.”
Watch the full UFC 328 post-fight press conference with Pat Sabatini above.
