“I get around it by fighting disciplined and composed,” he said. “If I was this hot head, young fighter who comes out and looks for a brawl, then experience comes into play a ton because he would take the composure out of me. But I think I’ve shown in most of my fights that I’m a pretty smart fighter and I’m pretty composed out there. The moment never gets to me, so if I do that and stay composed and disciplined, like I train to be, really all the experience means is that he’s had a lot more wear and tear, a lot more miles, a lot more ups and downs in this sport and I’m just getting started, so I’ll probably be even more excited to be there. I’m ready to go.”
Again, the confidence is evident, but it’s not cockiness, and there’s a difference. That will help Solecki deal with the inevitable jitters that come with this first UFC fight because in his mind, this is what he’s been aiming for since he first put the gloves on. So yeah, it wasn’t tough getting up again for this bout after the emotional high of the last one.
“Not at all,” Solecki said. “I look at the Contender Series and it was a great moment for me and we got a lot of exposure, especially because we got to be the main event and all that great stuff. But that was my job interview and now I have my dream job and I get to go to work. When I was a little kid, I wasn’t envisioning walking out in front of a hundred people at the Contender Series; I was dreaming about walking out in an arena like we’re gonna be in on December 7th, fighting in the UFC and fighting a UFC fighter. And I’m definitely fighting that opponent, I’m definitely in a huge arena, and I’m ready to show the world what I can do. So it’s not hard getting up for this at all.”
Let the cameras roll. Solecki, The Sequel, is about to begin.