Ateba Gautier Issues Statement After Upset TKO Loss at UFC 332
· Yahoo Sports
UFC middleweight prospect Ateba Guatier issued a statement following his upset TKO loss against Roman Kopylov at UFC 332.
In what was the only upset of the night on a card filled with favorites winning dominantly, Gautier lost for the first time in the UFC when the veteran Kopylov knocked him out in the very first round.
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The loss dropped Gautier’s UFC record to 5-1, and 11-2 overall in his MMA career.
Ateba Gautier Issues Statement on UFC 332 Loss
Taking to his social media following UFC 332, Gautier issued a lengthy statement about his first loss inside the Octagon.
“Hey everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I’m doing well, especially to everyone who has been worried about me and has been sending me messages since last night. Last night simply wasn’t our night. All credit to my opponent. He was better than me last night, and I respect that. Of course, I’m disappointed. I wanted to win, as always. But that’s also part of our sport. There are days when everything goes your way, and there are days when things don’t go the way you imagined. I fell, yes. But I’m going to get back up. And I’m going to start again as many times as it takes until I reach the goal I’ve set for myself,” Gautier wrote on his Instagram.
“A sincere thank you to everyone who has been sending me messages of support and motivation. I read your messages, even though I can’t reply to everyone, and believe me, they mean a lot to me. As they say in our sport: sometimes you make the highlights… and sometimes you ARE the highlight. And thank you to those who are celebrating my loss. I don’t hold it against you. Everyone is free to feel however they feel. I’ll simply use all of this as motivation to keep working. And above all, thank You to the Almighty Lord, Creator of Heaven and Earth. I’m grateful to Him for this loss. Maybe today I don’t fully understand everything this defeat is meant to teach me, but I know it will be part of my story. I fell last night. But my story doesn’t end here. I’m going to get back up. I’m going to work. And I’m coming back. Thank you all for your support.”
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Roman Kopylov Responds
In response to Gautier’s post, Kopylov shared the following comment with his UFC 332 foe.
“Thanks for the fight. I was glad to share the cage with you only the best in your direction,” Kopylov wrote.
For Kopylov, taking out a top prospect such as Gautier is a huge win for his career, as he’s won two straight fights now inside the Octagon following a decision win over Marco Tulio in his last bout.
As for Gautier, this was a difficult loss, but he is still only 24 years old. He has all the potential in the world to get back on the horse and get back into the win column.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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