For years, Phumi Nkuta has called for something big, an opportunity to prove himself against a higher level of opponent than the regional scene has to offer.
Despite his pro wrestling-esque mic skills, dominant performances, and endorsements from star teammates Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard refused for his arm to be twisted.
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At a loss, Nkuta (11-0) sought answers. He tried to cut the promos and campaign for his shot. When it didn’t come, it was frustrating. But more recently, he figured out how to let go.
“I know for a lot of people there were frustrations,” Nkuta recently told MMA Junkie. “But at a certain point, I just kind of stopped really caring about all that. I’m enjoying my life as a fighter in general. I love my day in, day out. I love the fact that I get to train hard and I get to be part of these camps for guys like Alex Perez, and then I get to go in there and do my thing myself. … So for me, the frustration went away a long time ago. Am I relieved that I get this opportunity? Absolutely. But man, I was enjoying my life before I got this opportunity.”
Switching gears mentally took some time. Nkuta credits a conversation with one of his biggest supporters, his mother, for the newfound perspective.
“It’s funny like, I was talking to my mom about this, and she was like, ‘Look, you’ve already won so many belts. You’ve already gone further than what you thought you could make of this sport. Regardless, we’re all so proud of you, and you’ve accomplished so much in this sport already,'” Nkuta said. “So for me, there’s no pressure.”
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Good things come to those who wait, and as soon as Nkuta stopped calling for opportunity, opportunity came calling. Mohammad Mokaev was having visa issues, and Adriano Moraes needed a new opponent. Most Valuable Promotions had a problem, and Nkuta was called to fix it.
To share the same card as some of the fighters whose posters lined his college dorm room, Nkuta says, is a surreal experience.
“I’m a fight fan first,” Nkuta said. “I was a fan watching Ngannou. I was a fan watching Ronda and all these people, Gina Carano back in the day. I remember tuning in when I was just a teenager watching Gina fight (Cris) Cyborg. I was in my dorm room, watching Ronda fight all these ladies and beating them all up. I’ve seen Nate Diaz fight in person, even him fighting Jim Miller back in the day. I was live in the crowd for that. So to be on a card with them, be put in a great spot, too, it’s a dream come true.”
Nkuta is sure to stop, take a deep breath and look around on the ground ahead of Saturday’s Rousey-Carano card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. But he won’t admire the scenery for too long. He’s there for business – and to prove a point.
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“There is something to be said about being undeniable, and I think we’re finally at a point now to where it’s like, you can say whatever you want about Phumi,” Nkuta said. “One, you gotta say he’s good, and two, you gotta say he’s an exciting fighter because you watched my last fights. You have to be either out of your mind or brain dead to say those, those fights weren’t exciting.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Phumi Nkuta found peace – and then Rousey-Carano opportunity found him
