LAS VEGAS – Blake Bilder thinks he was being counted out before his shot at a UFC deal, but is relishing in proving doubters wrong.
Bilder (7-0-1) submitted Alex Morgan (11-5) in the first round Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 52. The win got the former CFFC featherweight champion a UFC contract from president Dana White.
The 32-year-old Bilder said he’ll be ready to get his UFC started in earnest.
“(Morgan) comes from Tristar Gym. He’s with Firas Zahabi and whatnot – No. 1-ranked fighter,” Bilder said at his post-fight news conference at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “On paper, it looks like, ‘Man, this guy’s the real deal,’ which he is. I just showed I’m the realer deal. Three minutes, we got him out of there, unscathed, and I’m ready for the next opportunity.”
White said he’s not normally that interesting in bringing older first-time UFC fighters into the mix, but in Bilder’s case, he made an exception.
“It’s a fact: I’m not looking for 32-year-olds to come into the UFC,” White told MMA Junkie after the event. “So what the matchmakers do is they make the best fights they can with the guys they think have potential. … If you’re 32 years old, come in and make me want a 32-year-old. That’s your job, not mine. You come in and you do what (Bilder) did tonight – he came in and got me excited about a 32-year-old. That’s how this works.”
Bilder said even the likes of White questioning him was serves as motivation.
“I’m the underdog, your phone’s blowing up all day – you see the comments, you see the odds, you see the interviews,” Bilder said. “I love it. I’ve been an underdog my whole life. Keep doubting me – I’m going to keep proving you wrong.”
Check out Bilder’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
