ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Dennis Buzukja beat Connor Matthews with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Take a look inside the fight with Buzukja, who got his first win in the UFC, as well as his first bonus.
Dennis Buzukja def. Connor Matthews
Result: Dennis Buzukja def. Connor Matthews via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:22
Updated records: Buzukja (12-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Matthews (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Buzukja outstruck Matthews 84-62.
Buzukja on the fight’s key moment
“(Coach) Ray (Longo) just said to me, ‘Does this feel better than losing?’ I was like, ‘Man, hell yeah, this sh*t feels better than losing.’ So he was like, ‘Let’s keep it that way.’ I’m 26 and I’m only learning. I love the sport of MMA. I love the whole concept behind it. (I’m) just getting better every day, and I promise you every fight that I’m in there, you’re going to see a more polished, more patient and composed (fighter).”
Buzukja on his first UFC win
“I was down two (losses) in the UFC. I had a long road to get here, dropped the first one short notice, and then second one, just a horrible night in my hometown of New York. I battled a lot of demons in the last few months just with myself and with people and kind of losing belief, thinking, ‘Man, is this for me? Am I following the right path?’ But I trusted God, I’ve got a great team, great people around me, and God is on my side always”
Buzukja on what he wants next
“I’m definitely going to get that (loss to Jamall Emmers) back at MSG (in November). That’s a must for a personal thing growing up in New York. That’s a must. I’ve got to get a big win at MSG, but if Newark’s next, if that’s what the UFC wants in June, then I’ll fight in June. It’s not too soon for me. I love staying active. I’ll fight every three, maximum four months. I’m young, I’m healthy. As long as I’m healthy, I’m going to just keep stepping in here and just improving.”
To hear more from Buzukja, check out the video above.
UFC on ESPN 54 Images
[vertical-gallery id=2728872]
[vertical-gallery id=2728592]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.
