NEW YORK – In some respects, even Bilal Hasan might cop to being tossed into hypebeast mode.
Hasan, an unbeaten flyweight, has risen quickly thanks to a highlight-reel win on DWCS, and a turnaround less than three weeks later for a UFC debut that left him with an extra $100,000 in his pocket.
Throw in the 25-year-old Hawaiian's love of the legendary "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, and the likelihood he'll add a moonwalk to a post-fight celebration, and he's just off the wall enough to be overhyped in the wrong hands. Saturday, he'll have his most high-profile shot yet at becoming the next thriller at 125 pounds.
Hasan (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on Luis Gurule (11-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) to open up the main card at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. That
card placement at MSG, on a card with two title fights, is something Hasan thought would happen – but down the road.
"This is exactly what I expected, just not at this rate," Hasan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's UFC 334 media day. "The UFC put me on a rocket ship, and I'm here enjoying every moment. I just truly believe that this is such a great position to be in, and it's very unique. This is a true privilege for me to be here.
"At first, I wanted a slow buildup, but the UFC sees potential in me. I’ve believed in myself since Day One, so I'm just going to ride this rocket ship."
Against Gurule, he'll be up against his most accomplished opponent yet. Hasan beat Nilson Rojas in his UFC debut in August, and though Rojas was unbeaten, he was making his UFC debut. Gurule, Hasan admits, isn't going to set the neon ablaze with his 1-4 record in the promotion, either.
And that, he knows, puts him in position to be upset. He's as much as a 12-1 betting favorite, by far the biggest on the card.
"I've seen him fight before. He's a veteran in the UFC – not the best record, but he's fought very tough prospects in this division," Hasan said. "I don't really see anything special. I think he knows what he needs to do to try to get the victory, but it's the perfect stylistic matchup for me to go out there and put on another highlight performance and get another performance bonus."
Hasan said Gurule's mentality – that he's out to send his opponent's proverbial trolley of hype barreling off the tracks – seems like a natural reaction.
"If I was in his position, I'd probably say the same thing," Hasan said. "But I also know if I was in his position and seeing not only the highlights that I put on, but how much the UFC backs me – it's a lot. I can't imagine the pressure on his shoulders.
"But I think this is just going to be a theme in my career. I truly believe people's eyes are all on me and they're going to try to derail this hype train, and I'm going to go in there and enjoy the moment. I feel like I'm the best when I'm present and truly enjoying myself, so that's what I'm planning to do Saturday night."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Bilal Hasan says only human nature to get on his hype train at UFC 334
