LAS VEGAS – Louis Smolka was doing loads of issues proper in opposition to Vince Morales this previous December.
A pair minutes into the second spherical, Smolka landed a left, then a pair knees to the physique. However then all the things went south within the blink of an eye fixed. Morales went from masking up his midsection from the knees to a winging proper hand, and it landed. It put Smolka on the canvas, and an prompt later, he had the primary knockout loss of his profession.
The setback had Smolka down for the proverbial depend after the battle, after which he realized he needed to get again on the horse and transfer on.
“I imply, I used to be going to get knocked out finally, proper?” Smolka stated at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 36 media day. “You’re going to maintain doing this till you retire, all the things and something goes to occur to you. That’s simply how I attempted to take care of it. I’m not placing an excessive amount of weight into it. I really feel good.
“I used to be unhappy, although. I used to be extremely disenchanted. You’re employed so onerous at one thing for therefore lengthy and attempt to do all the things attainable, after which to have all of it taken away from you when it’s all going so properly, it’s fairly tough. It sucks. I used to be unhappy. However you’ve received to recover from it. You may’t be unhappy ceaselessly. So I take per week or two and cry and eat ice cream after which I’ll be again.”
Saturday, Smolka (17-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) returns in a bantamweight bout on the UFC on ESPN 36 principal card in opposition to Davey Grant (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC). And he could also be taking some phrases from UFC commentator Joe Rogan to coronary heart.
“Joe Rogan has stated ceaselessly, ‘Something can occur on this sport.’ Actually, something can occur at any given time, and perhaps that’s one thing I forgot for a little bit bit.”
UFC on ESPN 36 takes place Saturday on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The principle card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.
Take a look at the complete pre-fight interview with Smolka within the video above.
