LAS VEGAS – Bryan Battle wants people to recognize and remember his run on “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Battle (9-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was an underdog when he won Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” During his run, he scored a submission of Andrei Petroski, who’s currently unbeaten in the UFC.
Battle has also looked great in his octagon tenure so far, with his two most recent wins coming in thrilling knockouts of Takashi Sato and Gabe Green in under a minute. He sees himself as the most entertaining fighter to come out of “TUF” in a long time.
“I’m the most exciting prospect to come out of ‘TUF’ in forever,” Battle told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 228 media day. “It still drives me crazy how often people say I’m a veteran of (Dana White’s) Contender Series and they’re robbing me of all the weight cuts and the grind of being in the house.
“I’m like, ‘No, I won “The Ultimate Fighter.”‘ I still don’t think winning that show gets enough credit. It’s something I look forward to bringing some pride back. I want people to understand I was ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner. ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ is for real.”
Battle takes on A.J. Fletcher (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 228 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+. He looks to add another finish on his resume against the durable Fletcher.
“AJ is a really tough guy,” Battle said. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to be looking to be the first person to finish him in his pro career tomorrow.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.
