Jared Gordon defeated Hacran Dias by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 119 on Saturday. At one point in the bout Gordon got the full mount position and rained down punches, but to his dismay the referee didn’t stop it and Dias was saved by the bell. Here’s what he told MMAJunkie:
I thought he was taking a lot of punishment, and I was landing over and over with big strikes. I was looking at the ref like, ‘What more do I have to do to get the finish?’ But we’re in Hacran’s home country, and respect him. He’s a tough fighter, he’s a great guy, he’s a veteran. So they gave him a chance to come back into the fight and I just have to deal with what comes, and I did what I did. I thought I deserved…It was right there. If this was somewhere else, I think they’d have stopped it.
After the bout he reiterated his feelings about being a true featherweight and then wasted no time in calling out Andre Fili for a fight.
I truly believe I’m a featherweight. Even Hacran coming up from featherweight was bigger than me. I think if I’m going to perform at the highest level, it has to be at featherweight. I’d love to move back down, so that’s what I’m hoping for. I did have trouble (making weight) getting down there. But I’m a student of the game, and I’m trying to learn, and I’ll do what I have to do to get down there. I’ve made it before and I’ll do it again.
It was the UFC’s decision, so hopefully I can sway them into letting me go back down. I’d love to fight Andre Fili. I think it would be an amazing fight. He’s a great fighter, and I think it would be a lot of fun. I think it’s just an exciting matchup. He’s someone I know I could beat. He’s a great fighter, so I know we’d put on a good show. I respect him as a fighter, but I’d love to fight him.
Gordon has a steep hill to climb to get in to the title picture, but his confidence may just get him there.