Kris Moutinho returns to the UFC on Saturday after he grew to become a viral sensation again in 2021 when he accepted a brief discover alternative to face Sean O’Malley in a wild scrap that ended up incomes Battle of the Evening honors. Sadly, after shedding that combat after which dropping yet another to Guido Cannetti eight months later, he was launched from the UFC roster.
It seems whereas he was embraced and adored for his fan-friendly fashion contained in the cage, the now 32-year-old bantamweight was in a really darkish place in his private life.
“I went by a extremely unhealthy time with relationships, with all the pieces else in my life and I used to be only a mess,” Moutinho mentioned throughout UFC Atlanta media day. “I used to be very near ending this factor, ending all of it and being achieved.
“I don’t need to speak an excessive amount of about it nevertheless it was a nasty time. One of many worst instances in my life. I discovered the lady I’m with now, my lovely girlfriend, she saved me. Saved my life. Helped me discover God quite a bit higher and I’m simply in a greater place.”
Whereas he definitely appreciates that he received the possibility to combat within the UFC beforehand, Moutinho admits in all probability wasn’t in the fitting head area to seek out success throughout his temporary stint with the promotion.
Following his exit, Moutinho hit the reset button and began grinding away once more on the regional circuit the place he ultimately racked up 5 wins in a row with 4 finishes. He wasn’t essentially banging the drum to get again to the UFC however when the decision got here, he was very fast to simply accept the possibility to come back again with a combat booked in opposition to high prospect Malcolm Wellmaker on Saturday.
“I really feel like I’m the place God put me, the place I’m presupposed to be,” Moutinho mentioned. “I really feel like that is the man that ought to have been right here in 2021. The man that’s mentally targeted, enjoys these things once more.
“[Back] then, I used to be simply going by the motions and I used to be joyful to be right here however I used to be type of simply joyful to be right here. I’m not that man no extra. I don’t care. I’m coming to kill. I’m coming to knock him out. He has to kill me to get me out of there.”
Moutinho’s relationship with fight sports activities has additionally dramatically modified over the previous few years and he believes that’s going to indicate within the octagon in his return.
For each of his earlier fights within the UFC, Moutinho says he was solely involved with placing on a present however these memorable wars in the end ended with back-to-back losses. Now he plans to rectify that together with his efficiency in opposition to Wellmaker, though he nonetheless tends to placed on ultra-exciting fights.
“This sport within the 12 years, 13 years that I’ve been doing it, it’s taken quite a bit from me,” Moutinho mentioned. “I care much less I suppose about this sport and fewer about what I’m doing and that’s someway freed me to take pleasure in it extra when I’m in there and when I’m coaching and when I’m combating. I received again to what I did once I began these things. Mixing the sport.
“I received slightly too punch loopy and I wished to throw punches and get hit by punches and I loved it slightly an excessive amount of, didn’t pan out properly once I was right here the final time. I’m simply opening my sport up slightly bit, labored on the issues that I had final time and only a extra full fighter now.”
In a wierd approach, Moutinho’s return to the UFC is sort of a carbon copy of his first combat with the promotion as a result of he’s as soon as once more taking a brief discover alternative in opposition to a extremely touted prospect.
As a lot as he appreciates the love he received after the battle in opposition to O’Malley 4 years in the past, Moutinho is understandably hoping for a a lot totally different final result this time.
“It’s slightly bit déjà vu,” Moutinho mentioned. “It’s just about the identical factor that occurred final time. I’m combating a tall, lanky good striker on 9 days’ discover. It feels fairly comparable. I’m a distinct particular person than I used to be then. I’m quite a bit older, much more at peace with myself and the place I’m at in life. Hopefully it’s going to be a greater present.
“I believe Malcolm’s an ideal fighter. He’s 9-0 for a cause. He’s a strong man, has energy in each arms, he appears to be like to counter quite a bit. He may change, he may do one thing fully totally different this time however once more a whole lot of his fights, he counters and appears for the large hooks and he can wrestle, he can grapple, he can do all the pieces. I anticipate what I do very properly is put strain, management the tempo of the combat and use my wrestling right here and there and do what I’m presupposed to do.”
With a stoic, targeted look on his face as he kicked off combat week, Moutinho doesn’t take without any consideration that he’s getting a second probability at a primary impression however in some ways he looks like that is his actual introduction to the UFC.
He could sport an 0-2 file within the promotion however Moutinho expects to indicate a a lot totally different facet to himself when he clashes with Wellmaker on Saturday.
“You’re in my approach and I’ve to place you down and that’s the one approach it’s going to be,” Moutinho mentioned about his upcoming combat. “I’ve been saying this to myself, I’m inevitable. My time is inevitable. I’m right here for a cause. I received again for a cause. There’s no stopping me.”
