LAS VEGAS – Jose Delgado’s win over Andre Fili was not perfect, and Delgado is more than happy with that.
Delgado (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a rising featherweight, notched his third UFC Saturday, beating Fili (25-13 MMA, 13-12 UFC) in a split deicison on the main card of UFC Fight Night 269. Delgado lost the first round, but came back to win the following two on two of the judges’ scorecards for the victory.
Advertisement
This is something that would’ve affected Delgado in the past, but he’s made peace with not having everything perfect in his fights – which has boosted his game.
“I’m a really harsh critic,” Delgado told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC Fight Night 269 post-fight press conference. “That was one of the things in camp. It’s one of the first things I wrote after Nathaniel Wood, was having a high standard for yourself is great, but you cannot let it be a deterrent. And I felt like that was a mistake I made in that Wood fight. It was a mistake I feel like I overcame in this one. Y
“ou know, that first round did not go the way I wanted to. It did not go as planned. But I just had to stay present, build my way back into that fight, secure that victory, secure the next steps in what I want for my career. And I’m happy I got my hand raised, that’s for sure.”
Some online scored the fight in favor of Fili. It was a close and competitive affair all through the 15 minutes of the fight. Despite it being close, Delgado felt he had the victory in the bag after the final bell.
Advertisement
“I hate leaving it to the judges. You’ve got no idea how much I hate that,” Delgado said. “I want that finish. I want to hear the crowd go crazy. I want to have that insane adrenaline rush. I felt confident. I felt real confident, man. I felt like I built my way back into that fight. I secured the second round. I secured the third round. I felt confident. I was getting my hand raised.”
Now back on the win column, Delgado is looking to fight up and continue to prove he belongs among the best in the world at 145 pounds. Should health permit, he’s looking to return to the cage before summer end.
“Coming off a loss, I just wanted to kind of get that sucky taste out of my mouth,” Delgado said. “I hate that feeling, man. You’ve got to live with it until you get to be in these bright lights. So I just feel grateful to get that victory. I feel grateful to have a guy like Andre Fili on my resume now. I’ve got some things that are a little beat up on my body. I do need a little bit of time to just recover and take care of that first. But then after that, I want everybody. The mission is the same: To be the best in the world, to take on the best in the world, and to dominate those guys.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jose Delgado proud to overcome perfectionist mindset at UFC Vegas 114
