PARIS – William Gomis wasn’t about quit in front of his hometown fans at UFC Fight Night 209.
Gomis (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated Jarno Errens by majority decision this past Saturday at Accor Arena, where he was caught in a deep triangle-choke with just a minute left in the fight. But the MMA Factory Paris fighter managed to muster the energy to pop his head out and survive Errens’ last-ditch effort.
“In my mind, I can’t say stop,” Gomis told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I’m ready to die. I’m in Paris. My public is here. I’m ready to die. I just need to wait one minute and win this fight.”
Gomis predicted an easy knockout in his pre-fight interview, but during the contest he saw wrestling as a path to victory.
“I felt good. My opponent is a good striker. It’s very hard to be better than him in striking, and I see that I can be a better wrestler,” Gomis said.
He continued, “I feel the pressure, because I see a lot of media, a lot of people sent me messages. Yeah, pressure, but I’m someone who’s very cool. For me, it’s easy to calm down.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.