British 205-er Modestas Bukauskas promises to show the full ‘Baltic Gladiator’ when he faces Zac Pauga at UFC Vegas 75.
The pair will open Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex, with both men looking to extend their UFC win streak.
Bukauskas took to Perth last time out in his return to the UFC where he dominated Tyson Pedro. He was released from the promotion in 2021 following a three-fight losing streak and a knee injury. The 29-year-old then took to Cage Warriors to win gold before re-signing with the UFC.
The four-time British kickboxing champion discussed the matchup between himself and Pauga in an exclusive interview with Combat Sports UK.
He said: “He’s well versed at every area. He’s not been training very long but in the short space of time he’s managed to accumulate a good amount of skill in every single department, but nothing stands out.
“Nothing is really so crazy amazing that it stands out for him. The fact that he’s well versed everywhere but nothing stands out means that I can pick certain holes in his game.
“I’m also very well versed in every area so I’ve got many little tricks up my sleeve, things that people have started to see more of in my most recent fights and they’re gonna see a hell of a lot more of that on June 17th.
“I’m going out there to finish the fight and I’ve got to show that I’m levels above.
“I want to make it entertaining, I want to make it violent, and I want to make it something to be remembered. You can expect the full Baltic gladiator to be out there on June 17th.”
Modestas Bukauskas on UFC Vegas 75 Opponent’s Time in Cage Warriors
Both fighters have had stints with the European promotion. Pauga, despite being American, had two fights there before being recruited for the 30th edition of The Ultimate Fighter.
Meanwhile, Bukauskas is a two-time Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion and admitted that Pauga was on his radar during his second stint with the organisation.
He said: “He’s always been on my radar because when I came back to Cage Warriors, I think he was winning fights there and I was like: ‘Okay, this could be a potential opponent in the future’.
“Obviously my goal when I went back to Cage Warriors was to win the belt. That was pretty much one of the first things I wanted to do. I already knew of him, I knew that [he] could’ve been a potential opponent.
Modestas Bukauskas Full Exclusive Interview
You can watch the full interview with Bukauskas below:
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