NEW YORK – Luis Gurule realizes his opponent this week has had copious amounts of hype thrust upon him. He just doesn’t understand why.
Gurule (11-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) on Saturday opens the UFC 334 main card at Madison Square Garden in New York against highly touted flyweight Bilal Hasan (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC). Hasan is a heavy betting favorite of as much as 12-1 at some sporrtsbooks.
The 25-year-old Hasan had a 45-second KO on DWCS in August, then turned around for his UFC debut less than three weeks later and knocked out Nilson Rojas for a $100,000 bonus. Being elevated to the main card of his first UFC numbered event, and at the “mecca of combat sports,” MSG, no less – the hype and early accolades are hard to miss.
All the better for Gurule, who’s counting
on a shocker against the Washington-based Hawaiian.
“I was super excited about the matchup. No one wants to look back on their career and be like, ‘Oh, I didn't fight anybody good,’” Gurule said at Wednesday’s UFC 334 media day. “I get excited about the tough matchup, I get excited about the big name and I'm excited to derail the hype train.
“… I'm always going to respect all my opponents, but for sure, (exposing his hype is) something that I want to do. I love having a chip on my shoulder before a fight, and I definitely feel like I have it on this one.”
Gurule has struggled on his UFC path so far. The 32-year-old Coloradan came to the promotion through a split decision win on DWCS, then dropped his first three fights in the big show.
He rebounded from those losses, the first of his career, with a a decision win over Daniel Barez in May, but moved up to bantamweight for a short-notice fight against Rei Tsuruya two weeks later and was submitted in the first round.
Hasan has been a knockout artist, though, with eight of his 10 wins coming from his hands. Gurule thinks his 1-4 record in the UFC belies what Hasan has waiting for him, though.
“He definitely has skills,” Gurule said. “I just don't think he's been tested that much. I think a lot of times, he's used to being the bully – and I'm not in there to be bullied.
“… I for sure think I'm being overlooked, and I love it. I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog. It's the year of the underdog this year and I'm trying to make that true with the statement. I just think nobody's been able to inflict pain and put the pressure on him, and that's all I'm looking to do.”
And if he knocks off a 12-1 favorite at MSG?
“The world's going to know I'm a f*cking dog and I'm one of the top flyweights in the division,” Gurule said.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Luis Gurule intent on derailing Bilal Hasan hype train at UFC 334
