LAS VEGAS – When Robert Bryczek started the week for UFC Fight Night 289, he was in the co-main event.
And the Polish fighter was pretty stoked, too. He lost his last time out against Cam Rowston in Australia in May, so he figured he'd just be another fight on another card he next time he booked a matchup.
But this week, Bryczek (18-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) found himself in the co-headliner against Rodolfo Vieira (11-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), and he figured it was because of the type of performance he put on, even in a loss.
"(I was surprised to get the co-main event) because I lost my last fight in Australia," Bryczek told MMA Junkie and other media members at his UFC Fight Night 289 media day appearance Wednesday – when, as far as he knew, he was still in the co-feature.
"But it was a different place, different energy, very, very far away from my hometown.
"I think the UFC sees in my style potential, especially before the Brad Tavares fight. I want to show that again, and I think they respect that always when I have a proposition from UFC, I always say yes. They're never waiting for my answer. I am a UFC soldier, and they appreciate that."
The UFC apparently appreciates it so much that after media day, they bumped his fight with Vieira not only out of the co-main event, but all the way back to the preliminary card. The UFC brass moved two previous prelim fights up – Norma Dumont vs. Ailin Perez and Sedriques Dumas vs. Luis Hernandez – and into the second and third slots.
So much for Bryczek's positive thinking about his UFC standing. Still, he bailed out on training in Poland for his entire camp, and instead spent the final days in Las Vegas training at Xtreme Couture and the UFC PI. It sounds like he's willing to be in Vegas more often, despite the sudden downgrade the UFC gave him this week.
"The camp was very hard. The last two and a half weeks, we came to Las Vegas for acclimatization," Bryczek said. "We have a great time here, too, because we used the hospitality of coach Eric (Nicksick) from Xtreme Couture. We have very, very big thanks for him and the guys – Sean Strickland, Chris Curtis and rest of the guys. We did a couple nice rounds, and it was a great, great time for me.
"We will see (about training in Las Vegas more often). I'll talk with my coach. This is a perfect place for camp, or maybe some part of the camp, to came here, to leave Poland a little bit earlier and make acclimatization and some good rounds with guys, also. I think it's better because most fighters from Europe choose Miami, Florida – gyms like Kill Cliff or American Top Team. In my opinion, Las Vegas and the UFC PI and Xtreme Couture is a better place."
Against Vieira, Bryczek knows what he has in store. Of his 11 MMA wins, nine are by submission – though the black belt doesn't have one in 2.5 years. He's dropped three of his past four fights.
So absent recent submissions, Bryczek is pretty sure what Vieira is going to be coming after.
"It's not a secret. He's a great jiu-jitsu guy, five-time world champion in jiu-jitsu, so I have big respect for him and for his skill," Bryczek said. "But we should remember: This is MMA, and I have my own weapons.
"… I'm always looking for the finish, and it will be the same on Saturday. I think I have some solutions for Rodolfo Vieira and I'm going for that."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 289's Robert Bryczek considering part-time Vegas move
