Simply put, Spike Carlyle’s debut stuck out.
In 85 seconds, Carlyle (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) derailed Aalon Cruz, winning by TKO in his UFC debut. At UFC on ESPN 9, Carlyle will look to make it two-for-two.
“I’m actually ecstatic,” Carlyle said during a virtual media day Thursday. “I’m happy to be at this moment. Everything is a unique experience right now, so I’m taking it all in.”
While Carlyle’s destructive performance turned heads, his persona and antics magnified his impression. UFC announcer Bruce Buffer introduced Carlyle for the first time. Meanwhile, Carlyle grimaced and made faces at the camera. As the last syllable left Buffer’s mouth, Carlyle let out a deep giggle. Almost instantly, the clip went viral on “MMA Twitter.”
“I always have somewhat of a ‘ritual,’ you could call it – a way when the announcers are bringing my name out,” Carlyle said. “The laugh was 110 percent genuine from someplace deep inside my ginger soul. Gingers have souls.”
While fans can expect the same level of bizarre upon his introduction Saturday, should they expect to hear another giggle? Maybe – but probably not, Carlyle indicated.
“I don’t think you can replicate that,” Carlyle said. “We’ll see what happens, man.”
A man of few words, Carlyle chose not to dive too deep into a pre-fight analysis of his matchup against Billy Quarantillo. Instead, he repeated the same word in a handful of answers.
“The one word I’ll give you guys for this fight is the ‘massacre.'”
UFC on ESPN 9 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Check out Spike Carlyle’s full UFC on ESPN 9 pre-fight interview in the video above.
