Justin Jaynes admits cutting down to 145 pounds in a relatively quick turnaround is far from ideal.
Jaynes (16-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who knocked out Frank Camacho in his UFC debut in June, is dropping down a weight class less than two months later to take on Gavin Tucker at UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Jaynes has competed all the way up to 170 pounds throughout his career, but when his manager called with the offer to face Tucker (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at featherweight, Jaynes couldn’t turn it down.
“I love quick turnarounds,” Jaynes told MMA Junkie. “I wasn’t thrilled about going down to featherweight for this one. When Jason (House) called, he was in Abu Dhabi, and I was at the bar drinking beer and eating pizza. He called. He’s like, ‘Hey, we have an offer for Gavin Tucker in four weeks. Can you make weight?’ I said, ‘Can we ask for an extension? Like a week or two extension?’ He said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ Long story short, no extension. UFC knocks, I answer the door – 145, 155, 170.
“(It’s) not an ideal situation for featherweight, but it is what it is. I show up, I blow up. I’m going to knock Gavin Tucker out.”
It took Jaynes only 41 seconds to upset Camacho in a position he thrived in. He takes on Canada’s Tucker and he’ll look to cash in as the betting underdog once again.
“My whole life, I’ve been an underdog,” Jaynes said. “I love being the underdog. I just love the opportunity to create an upset and it’s my time.”
