Matt Bessette wants to get back into the cage before the end of the year.
If anyone’s looking for a fight, it’s Matt Bessette.
Bessette has been campaigning to get a third UFC fight ever since a decision loss to Steven Peterson in July. Bessette made his long-awaited UFC debut in January, but has failed to pick up a win in two outings. With one fight left on his current deal, “The Mangler” is eager to get back into the cage to prove he still deserves a spot on the promotion’s featherweight roster.
“Fighter’s fight,” Bessette told Bloody Elbow. “They don’t pick and choose. I’m in a situation where I’ve taken two Ls in a row, both of them close fights. I’m not really in a great position to just pick and choose, so I’ll step up on short notice if they need me. If they need me to save a card or put on a show, I’m there.”
Bessette said he reaches out to Shelby nonstop, and that the matchmaker responds “once out of every eight emails.”
“Anytime something comes up, or somebody’s talking junk on social media, I let him know,” Bessette said. “I forward him pictures, and I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s do this fight.’”
Bessette initially said he wanted to step up on short notice against either Renato Moicano at UFC 231 on Dec. 8 or Rick Glenn at TUF 28 Finale on Nov. 30. Later, Shelby informed Bessette that both fighters have new opponents, Bessette said. Moicano and Glenn were scheduled to meet Mirsad Bektic and Arnold Allen, respectively, but both fighters pulled out of their bouts due to injuries. Neither new opponents have been announced as of now.
Bessette said Shelby warned him in mid-August that there’s a chance he could get released from the UFC early next year. But Bessette still has his fingers crossed he’ll get a short-notice opportunity, a third chance to prove himself in the Octagon, before then; “The Mangler” remains hopeful.
“Hopefully he likes my hunger, how I want to stay a part of the UFC, and he recognizes that I’ll step up to fight,” Bessette said.
That said, Bessette won’t blame Shelby if he can’t find a spot for him on the roster.
“There are how many fighters on the roster? It’s insane. How many featherweights is he trying to match up? How many fighters are doing the same exact thing I’m doing right now, just constantly tweeting and messaging Sean?” Bessette asked. “He’s got a lot to deal with. By no means do I hold anything against Sean if I don’t get matched for a third fight. The dude works his ass off.”
Bessette said he’d like to think his exciting nature will increase his chances of sticking around in the UFC.
“I’m f-cking exciting,” Bessette said. … “I show up and fight. I bleed, and I make the other guy bleed. People are out of their seats at the end of the fight. That’s just how I fight. If I find a guy that wants to bang out with me, we’re getting a bonus — that’s just how it is.”
Bessette said a lot will be on the line if he gets a third UFC fight.
“Whether it’s a win or a loss, this is something I want,” Bessette said. “I’d rather go out after finishing my three fights. If I lose it, then obviously I get cut. If I win it, I get an opportunity to re-up my contract, which would be totally dope.”