The most exciting fighter you don’t know
Frank Camacho holds the UFC record for most consecutive fight of the night bonuses to start his career, with three.
Ask a fan who is the most exciting fighter in the UFC and you’ll likely get a handful of answers. Some are undoubtedly going to hit the big names like Conor McGregor, Cowboy Cerrone, and Nate Diaz. Others will go with some more recent additions to the list and hit names like Justin Gaethje, Israel Adesanya, and Mike Perry.
But there’s a name that’s flying under the radar in terms of excitement: Frank Camacho.
Camacho holds the UFC record for most consecutive fight of the night bonuses to start his career, three – which he holds with the aforementioned Gaethje and Yoshihiro Akiyama. He spoke with The Top Turtle MMA Podcast about what that means to him.
To be in that mix of names with 3 consecutive fight of the nights, with Justin Gaethje and [Yoshihiro] Akiyama, it’s definitely an honor, he shared.
Although he has had plenty of those slobberknocker-type fights, he assured the fans that this isn’t something he loves to do. In fact, he prefers not to get into brawls.
You know I get asked that question all the time, Camacho said with a laugh. I promise I don’t like getting punched in the face.
Even if that’s not what he’s gunning for, it seems to be what he keeps getting. Camacho has an explanation for that. He feels that he’s out there looking to knock people’s heads off, and in return he winds up putting on exciting fights.
Honestly, I would prefer performance of the night and maybe that’s why I bring it so hard, he said. Because I’m trying to get these finishes – these knockout finishes.
And early in his career that is exactly what he was getting.
If you look at the early part of my career I’d been stopping guys, and now in the UFC, except for my last [fight], all decisions, Camacho said. [Now] I’m gunning for the performance of the night, more so, and fight of the nights are just coming out.
When he steps into the cage this weekend with Nick Hein, he’s isn’t going to change a thing.
You know what it is? I think I just try to keep it simple, said Camacho.Dude, I’m just going to get in your face and make it a fight.
That fight will be available on the prelim portion of UFC Fight Night Stockholm on ESPN+ this Saturday.
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Author Daniel Vreeland is a co-founder of the Top Turtle Podcast, and a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu at New England Submission Fighting in Amherst, Massachusetts.