VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Uriah Hall is entering UFC on ESPN+ 16 at the height of his game, and he said he credits the move to Fortis MMA for making that happen.
Hall (14-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) has fought out of a number of gyms throughout the course of his UFC tenure. He’ll be backed by the Dallas-based gym and coach Sayif Saud for Saturday’s middleweight bout with Antonio Carlos Junior (10-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a move that kind of came out of nowhere.
According to Hall, he was spending time in Texas visiting a friend when the opportunity to walk through the doors of Fortis MMA came up. He instantly connected with Saud, the coaching staff and the training partners and said the results have him feeling better than ever for fight night.
“A friend of mine invited me there, and I went there and fell in love with the strength and conditioning program,” Hall told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at UFC on ESPN+ 16 media day. “I love the way it worked on recovery the same time as strengthening. It’s been one of my best weight cuts so far. It’s been unbelievable. It goes back to that mentality.”
Hall said the relationship with Fortis MMA came up at the perfect time. He admitted some of his previous associations have resulted in some rough moments and tough lessons, ultimately causing a detriment to his passion for the sport.
All of that negatively is gone from Hall’s life now though, he said, and he is in a good place going into his matchup with Carlos Junior this weekend.
“I’ve had managers who screwed me over; I’ve had individuals that when you’re in the limelight you’re somebody, but when you lose a fight, what do they say? ‘You’re as good as your last fight,'” Hall said. “You watch every fight, and it’s like the Super Bowl. No one remembers who lost it. No one gives a crap about the one that loses. It’s taught me to really surround myself with my confidants.
“Me losing that fire, I’m one of those rare cases that if I’m not thrown in the pit with some wolves, I get bored. I like when my back’s against the wall. It’s a weird nature of mine, but when I’m in that uncomfortable realm, I seem to progress.”
UFC on ESPN+ 16 takes place at Rogers Arena and airs in its entirety on ESPN+.
To hear more from Hall, check out the video above.
