LAS VEGAS – Kevin Borjas met the media Saturday after his win over Andre Lima at UFC Fight Night 279.
Borjas (11-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) outworked Lima (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) to close out the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. It was the biggest upset of the event; Lima was more than a 6-1 betting favorite.
Advertisement
Borjas missed weight by three pounds, which was the first such infraction of his career. He said that largely was owed to him accepting the fight on short notice. Had he lost to Lima, it would’ve been three straight. And combined with the weight miss, it may have cost him his UFC gig.
“The team got together and we called this Operation Lazarus because we really did rise from the dead. That’s how people saw me – they took me for dead,” Borjas said at his post-fight news conference. “But you evolve, you mature, you train, you get better, and that’s what we did as a team. I surrounded myself with people that believe in me, people that wanted to make this work. Trust yourself. When people say things, don’t believe them – stick to the people who are going to help you out. This is what we were able to do and again, I have an opportunity to rewrite my history.”
Borjas had losses in four of his first five UFC fights after graduating from DWCS in 2023. But the major upset of Lima – the first loss of the highly touted Brazilian’s career – might be the spark the Peruvian needs for a flyweight jumpstart, despite the weight infraction.
“No one accepted fights against (Lima), and I will take on those fights,” Borjas said. “I feel that I’ve matured, I’ve gotten better, that I’m ready. I think I belong to the elite, and I showed what I’m all about. I feel that I’m a better fighter than I was before, and that I belong here.
Advertisement
“I want to rewrite my history in this organization. That’s what I’m here for.
Check out Borjas’ post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kevin Borjas working on his UFC rewrite after major upset of Lima
