ABU DHABI – Modestas Bukauskas beat Andreas Michailidis with a first-round TKO Wednesday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Bukauskas, a former Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion.
Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Andreas Michailidis via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 5:00
Updated records: Bukauskas (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Michailidis (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Bukauskas won for the seventh straight time – all of which have come by stoppage.
Bukauskas on the fight’s key moment
“I knew once those shots were landing that they were going to be hard because in my last fight in Cage Warriors, I finished the guy with the exact same finish. Even when I went with (Michailidis) to the medical room, he was completely dazed and confused. So I wish for a speedy recovery for my opponent. I would have liked to finish it in a different way because I was just starting to feel my range … but to come out there and see those elbows and land them, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Bukauskas on seeing his UFC dream come true
“I feel absolutely amazing. I’ve been visualizing this moment. Every single time the opponent got announced, I was visualizing it every single day – visualizing the finish, writing it on my board and everything like that. For it finally to come to fruition in the cage is absolutely amazing. To be part of such a historic event, as well – I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Bukauskas on what he wants next
“I’m really hoping to get on the next ‘Fight Island’ card. I know they are going to be running events in Las Vegas and depending on the pandemic, they’re going to come back here. So I would love to be back on a show on ‘Fight Island’ the next time around. I’m going to let this leg heal, get the swelling down, but then I’ll be back into training and ready to go and take on new challenges.”
To hear more from Bukauskas, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
Modestas Bukauskas left Michailidis 'dazed and confused' in bizarre finish at UFC on ESPN 13
