Credit:Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
Nick
Maximov took a big step up in his sophomore Octagon appearance,
occupying the co-main event slot opposite Punahele
Soriano at UFC Fight Night 200 this past Saturday.
The Dana White’s Contender Series alum seemed to handle the
pressure quite well, tying a UFC middleweight record with 11
takedowns landed en route to a unanimous decision triumph at the
UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It’s well documented that Maximov trains
with Nate
Diaz and Nick Diaz, two
men that know a little something about big fights. At Saturday’s
post-fight press conference, Maximov credited the Diaz brothers
with helping get him mentally ready for the moment.
“It feels great. I wasn’t worried about winning or losing, I was
just about enjoying it,” Maximov said. “And I had a great time. I
was built for this moment. The guys taught me what to do and what
not to do. It was fun.”
While Soriano opened a cut near the bridge of Maximov’s nose early,
the Xtreme Couture product struggled to remain upright for the
majority of the middleweight contest. Maximov says he didn’t see
anything from his opponent that caught him off guard.
“I wouldn’t say he even rocked me or nothing, it just opened up. I
was all good. I felt good on my feet, I felt like I cracked him a
little bit, I was ready to go,” Maximov said.
“I just train with killers all the time. I just expect people to be
where Nate and Nick are…”
Maximov’s promotional debut came early on the preliminary card at
UFC 266 last October, when he outpointed Cody
Brundage. Moving to a more prominent placement on a fight card
might have rattled some athletes, but the 24-year-old Maximov once
again credited his team.
“No nerves. We train for this all the time,”he said. “They really
help me a lot just to prepare for this. I was actually comfortable.
I was just enjoying the moment.”
With a co-headlining victory under his belt, it’s now full speed
ahead for Maximov.
“Main event next,” he said.
“I’m in a race against time. I want to keep going and try to be at
the top as soon as possible.”