LAS VEGAS – Count Jamie Mullarkey among those who stands behind the old adage “never leave it in the hands of the judges.”
This past October, Mullarkey faced off against French lightweight Fares Ziam in a hotly contested affair that featured a real clash of styles. Mullarkey was able to control the grappling side of the contest, while Ziam found more success on the feet. According to MMADecisions.com, 15 out of 17 tracked media scores (including MMA Junkie) scored the bout for Mullarkey, but judges Ben Cartlidge, Darryl Ransom and Clemens Werner disagreed, handing a unanimous decision win to Ziam, 29-28 on all three cards.
“It’s all part of the journey, man, and I’m definitely not leaving this to the judges anymore,” Mullarkey told MMA Junkie at a Wednesday media day at the UFC Apex. “I never do. I never like to leave it the judges, but that last fight, it’s left a bad taste in my mouth, and I’ve learned I’m a little bit more hungry for that finish.”
On Saturday, Mullarkey (12-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) gets a chance to earn his first UFC win, taking on fellow lightweight Khama Worthy (16-7 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC 260. After picking up a “Fight of the Night” bonus in his promotional debut, Mullarkey has proven he knows a thing or two about fun scraps, and he sees the bout with “The Death Star” as one that has that sort of potential.
“I think it’s a good stylistic matchup for me, and like I said before, Khama Worthy comes to fight, and they’re the guys that I want to fight,” Mullarkey said.
But “Fight of the Night” bonuses aren’t what the 26-year-old Australian is hoping for in his UFC career. After two disappointing setbacks to open his octagon run, Mullarkey said his primary goal is simply to break into the win column for the first time in the UFC.
“The win is the most important thing on my mind right now, but if I can do it in exciting fashion, even better,” Mullarkey said.
UFC 260 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.
To see the full interview with Mullarkey, check out the video above.