Robbie Peralta looks at his UFC debut this Saturday night as a once in a lifetime opportunity. He realizes that a loss will almost certainly send him back down the ladder he has fighting so hard to climb since making his MMA debut in March of 2007.
Having fought predominately for MMAX, an organization that runs its events in South America, and the California based Gladiator Challenge, Peralta has amassed an impressive 14-3 record. 11 of those wins have come by knockout, two by submission and one by decision.
His last loss came over two years ago against Landon Piercy via submission. Since then he has reeled off seven straight wins including what has to be his biggest win to date against Hiroyuki Takaya. The two met on Strikeforce: Daley vs. Diaz card back in April.
The win against Takaya was made more impressive considering the roll Takaya had been on going into his matchup with Peralta. He had defeated both Joachim Hansen and Chase Beebe by knockout and followed those two wins up with a decision win against Bibiano Fernandes on the annual New Year’s Eve card in Japan.
Beating a tough opponent like Takaya on a bigger stage will only help Peralta as he prepares to face Mike Lullo in New Orleans at UFC Fight Night. Although their bout is not scheduled to be televised, Peralta knows what an impressive win will do for his career.
“I’m sure the win I got over Takaya got my name out there,” Peralta told Bleacher Report. “Jeff Clark, who is my manager along with my trainers have been pushing me hard to get to the next level. The opportunity came up and I jumped at the chance. I was stoked and realized that this was something you just don’t pass up. You never know when and if you will ever get a chance like this again.”
Knowing that a loss can hurt him just as much as a win can, Peralta and his team have thrown it into high gear since getting the call to replace Mackens Sermeizer. The UFC is notorious for rewarding fighters who come to fight and are just as well known for cutting guys who don’t perform according to their standards. Peralta knows what he is capable of and is ready to show what he can do.
“The UFC signed to a one fight deal, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, but if I win and do well I’m sure other opportunities will arise, “Peralta said. “I am in no way looking past this fight or Lullo, but I am hoping to come out of this fight in shape to earn a long term contract.”
While most first time UFC fighters come into the octagon with pre-fight jitters and butterflies, Peralta feels as though fighting for Strikeforce against a high profile opponent such as Takaya has given him a little taste of what to expect come Saturday night.
“Fighting in front of my hometown fans in San Diego felt good,” said Peralta excitedly. “Getting the win made it even more special. I train with Xplode MMA which is not too far from where the fight was held. In that respect I felt a little at ease having so much support, but I know Saturday night will be a whole new ball game once my name is called.”
Everyone loves the knockout. They are exciting and can change the way a fight is going all in one punch, but not every fighter has one shot knockout power. Peralta as a matter of fact would rather punish his opponents a little bit before finishing them off.
“I am definitely more of a punisher,” said Peralta. “I like to knock them down and hurt them until the referee pushes me off. I enjoy utilizing my ground and pound.”
Peralta is not your everyday mixed martial artist. He didn’t wrestle in high school and college, he never took any boxing or kickboxing lessons, but he fell in love with the sport the first day he decided to try his hand at it.
“I never wrestled, actually the only thing I did was Tae-Kwon-Do, which I have a black belt in,” Peralta explained. “That’s the grand sum of my MMA background. I was always getting into fights when I was younger so I figured why not get paid for it?”
Where Peralta ends up won’t be determined until he finishes his fight with Lullo on Saturday night. Fortunately for him, Lullo is just as inexperienced as he is when it comes to fighting on a bigger show. Lullo lost his one and only UFC bout to Edson Barboza via TKO (Leg Kicks) at UFC 123 in November. None of that concerns Peralta as he has his mind on becoming a permanent fixture in the UFC Featherweight division.
“Fans can expect me to go with the flow and I will make it exciting no matter where it goes,” Peralta assured Bleacher Report. “I am hoping to make my way up the ladder in the UFC and one day getting close to a championship fight. It’s all about taking it one fight at a time.
“I’ve gotten as far as I have with hard work and the help of some very important people. I can’t thank my manager Jeff Clark enough for being there for me. My trainer Johnny Hughes pushes me to be my best; I couldn’t train without the help of my sponsors, TapouT, RevBrew and all of my training partners at Xplode MMA.”
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