LONDON – Jai Herbert isn’t really concerned with what anyone thought of his UFC Fight Night 208 performance – particularly Kyle Nelson.
Herbert (12-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) took a unanimous decision from Nelson (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC) on the preliminary card at The O2 in London on Saturday. Herbert took the fight with a trio of 29-28 scores.
Considering he needed to get back in the win column after a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at the same venue in March, the Brit said he was happy for 15 minutes of work to show himself a thing or two.
“I’m glad I got the three rounds. I literally wanted the three rounds,” Herbert said at his post-fight news conference. “Obviously, I want a quick finish. But I was saying to myself, ‘Pray for three rounds. You need to go in there and get three rounds.’ I needed to have that discipline for three rounds and prove to myself I can do three rounds and stay disciplined throughout the whole fight.
“I’m so happy the fight went the way it did. That is 100 times better, for me, than getting a first-round, 10-second knockout. That is what I needed to progress my career.”
Herbert said after the bout, Nelson threw some punches after the final bell – which he chalked up to frustration with how the action went and that it didn’t play out in what was a typical fan-friendly fight.
“He was frustrated, obviously, because he knew I won the round, and he probably assumed I was going to come here to swing it out with him,” Herbert said. “… I came here to be professional and get the victory. I didn’t come here for a bonus. I came here to get the ‘W,’ and that’s what I had to do.”
Check out Herbert’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
