Rinat Fakhretdinov wants to clean out welterweight of any gatekeepers after UFC Fight Night 216
LAS VEGAS – Rinat Fakhretdinov beat Bryan Battle with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 216 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Fakhretdinov, who won for the 19th straight time.
Bryan Battle vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov
Result: Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Bryan Battle via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27)
Updated records: Fakhretdinov (21-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Battle (8-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Key stat: Fakhretdinov landed seven takedowns and outstruck Battle 102-25.
Fakhretdinov on the fight's key moment
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 17: (L-R) Bryan Battle punches Rinat Fakhretdinov of Russia in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 17, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“What I was surprised at was his defense on the ground. I wasn’t surprised with his standup, but I was surprised with his defense on the ground.”
Fakhretdinov on fighting with more regularity
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 17: (R-L) Rinat Fakhretdinov of Russia takes down Bryan Battle in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 17, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“I feel great about it. I feel really good about getting fights more often now. Before, I didn’t fight as often. Now I get fights much more often and I’m really happy about it. This has been my dream. I’m fighting in the UFC and I’m really happy about it.”
Fakhretdinov on what he wants next
“There are lots of warriors in the UFC – warriors like Bryan Battle, who accepted the fight. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for people to accept a fight with me. I think there are a lot of brave guys here.
“It’s now the time of new fighters, of new heroes. It’s time to remove the old fighters, the gatekeepers, from the top 15. With my hands here, I’ll clean it up and I’ll make sure to get there.”
To hear more from Fakhretdinov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 263.
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