LAS VEGAS – Thiago Moises is not deterred from his recent setbacks heading into UFC on ESPN 38.
After amassing a three-fight winning streak over Michael Johnson, Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez, Moises (15-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has been stopped in back-to-back bouts by Islam Makhachev and Joel Alvarez.
He will look to rebound when he faces Christos Giagos (19-9 MMA, 5-5 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Moises took current title contender Makhachev to Round 4 and had a lot of positive takeaways from that fight.
“I learned a lot from those fights – especially with Islam,” Moises told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 38 media day. “I think I gave him a hard fight, especially if you see his last fights against Bobby Green and Dan Hooker that he finished easily. So I think I have a lot of potential. (I) just keeping getting better (and) keep improving. I’m very young, also, so I think that’s the way.
“My last fight (against Alvarez), what I did wrong was I didn’t follow the game plan to look for the takedown and work my grappling, because the guy was so tall, so it’s hard to punch (up). That’s what I learned from those fights. So I think it made me a better fighter.”
Check out the full media day interview with Moises in the video above.
UFC on ESPN 38’s Thiago Moises: Islam Makhachev loss showed ‘I have a lot of potential’