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“I feel like I’m the total package at 185,” Pitolo said. “Number one, my thinking aspect of the game is all there. I can think way better, way clearer. My mindset is not all foggy. Two, I feel like I’m 100 percent. Even though you never go into a fight 100 percent, I feel like I’m at the best of my game at that certain time.”
Pitolo is hoping Stewart will stand and trade when they enter the cage, but he is well-aware of Stewart’s grappling and strong ground-and-pound attack, as well. In Pitolo’s two UFC bouts, his opponents have opened with grappling in hopes of negating the Hawaiian’s attack.
Against Byrd, Pitolo showed that he isn’t physically overmatched in the division, engaging in competitive wrestling exchanges before finding a home for the “pair of bombs” he carries in his 4-oz gloves.
Feeling much more established on the roster and at home in 185 pounds, Pitolo hopes his third bout in the UFC Apex is the one that turns heads to his credentials as a fighter and shows he is much, much more than a scrappy guy with a memorable nickname.
“I’m just looking to go out there to win and be dominant and play my cards right,” Pitolo said. “I’m always looking for the opening and looking for the finish, so I’m looking to do it in devastating fashion this time around and really wake up the middleweight division and let them know that I’m here.”