Active Humberto Bandenay capitalizing on ‘good rhythm’ ahead of Combate Americas title fight

Humberto Bandenay has a busy schedule and things won’t slow down anytime soon.

The Peruvian fighter won the Copa Combate 2019 tournament in late December, fighting three times in one night, and he’s now just days away from challenging Combate Americas lightweight champion Rafa Garcia in the main event of Combate Americas 55 in Mexicali, Mexico on Feb. 21.

To add to his strenuous program, Bandenay (18-7 MMA) entered Copa Combate having fought in November at Fusion FC 41 in Peru, where he stopped Bruno Conti in the second round.

Bandenay’s title showdown with Garcia will be his fifth fight in a little over three months, and the 25-year-old is feeling just fine.

“Thank God I left (Copa Combate) with no injuries from the three fights,” Bandenay told MMA Junkie. “I didn’t have any type of break, I really only stopped for like 10 days just to rest the mind and body and shortly after I was called to fight on February 21 against the champion, who’s Rafa Garcia. So I have to take advantage of the opportunity because I’ve been training well at a good rhythm and here we are waiting for the day.

“I feel like I am at good rhythm and I also fought in November here in Peru. So I fought in November, December and now I fight in February, so I feel comfortable and relaxed for anything that comes my way.”

Bandenay is training in Lima at Dogo Training Center, after moving around from Team Oyama in Southern California, to Thailand, and a few other places along the way.

Bandenay always took a nomadic approach to his training, even in his run in the UFC, but he feels Dogo Training Center will be his permanent home.

“I’ve had the opportunity to train at different gyms, but now I think I’m in a phase where I’ve found myself a lot better,” Bandenay said. “I’ve molded a lot better to these camps, and I like the logistics of it as well.”

Speaking about the matchup, Bandenay acknowledged Garcia’s skill set, but he’s confident the unbeaten champion has yet to be put through the fire.

“He’s a good fighter with an undefeated record, but he’s yet to have a tough fight,” Bandenay said. “And that’s what we’re aiming for. We’re going to make him feel it, and we’re going to pour all of our work on him.”

Bandenay has been undefeated since his UFC departure in late 2019. He went 1-3 in the UFC, but despite not performing as expected, Bandenay sees his run in the UFC as a learning experience, one he’s drawing upon in Combate Americas.

“It’s been super helpful, all this is no longer new to me,” Bandenay said. “Combate still has many similar things to the UFC as far as doing media and things of that nature, so it’s something I’ve been through already. I do feel like my experience in the UFC has helped me a lot.

“It’s different stages and I don’t want to compare, but I had moments in the UFC were I did poorly,” Bandenay said. “Perhaps I wasn’t doing things well, a bunch of factors that people don’t know, but it’s all about owning up to your actions. So I own up to my mistakes and I had to face them. The only way to get out from that funk was to keep fighting and here I am. I know who I am, I know my worth, and a concentrated Humberto is who I am right now.”