Miami, Florida’s Alex ‘Bruce Leroy’ Caceres is all angles and slick technique. D’Iberville, Mississippi’s Jason Knight is straight forward, literally and figuratively.
Knight began fighting as an amateur in 2008, going 5-0, before turning pro in 2009. He went 13-1 before signing with the UFC, but lost his league debut to Tatsuya Kawajiri late in 2015. Since then he has gone 3-0, most recently tapping Caceres in the second round at UFC on FOX 23 on Saturday night.
White said he thought Knight vs. Caceres was the fight of the night, and that although there was no official bonus given for it, the pair would be getting something.
Like all smart fighters, the 24-year-old Knight made clear what he wants next – Dooho Choi.
I believe that me and the ‘Korean Superboy,’ we get out there, and we’re going to set out some fireworks and give the fans something to talk about for a long, long time, said Knight post fight as transcribed by MMAjunkie. And maybe one day I’ll sit out on my front porch and tell my grandkids, ‘Hey, I was one of the greats.’
And whenever they go back in it, they go, ‘No, Pawpaw, you’re crazy.’ I’ll go back and I’ll show them a fight between me and the ‘Korean Superboy,’ or me and whoever, and end up like, ‘Damn, you weren’t lying, Pawpaw.’ I mean that’s the type of stuff I look forward to.
It was fun – a lot of fun. It was kind of flashy and everything, but it was exactly what I expected. I got a guy, one of my good standup coaches, and he went back and studied the tape. And we knew what he was going to throw. And my coach, I mean, he broke him down to a science for me.
I was ready to go. I knew pretty much what was coming at all times. And yeah, he caught me with a few good shots and everything, but he was just quick. And it pretty much was nothing I didn’t expect, and [I] went out there and got the job done.
Before the fight, I ain’t going to lie to you: All I wanted to do was cry. My daddy, he died a little over a year ago, and tomorrow is his birthday, and I just had to get this win for him. I love you, Daddy. Dear Lord, I want to thank you for having him in attendance tonight because he was right there in that cage with me. He was there every step of the way.
Daddy, I love you, and I’m telling you – I mean Cole Swindell [Knight walked out to You Should Be Here], that song, right there, that just, it brings me back. Every time I hear it, my dad’s right there with me. I see his face. All I can think about is my dad. And man, I couldn’t think of a way to make him any more proud.
Knight says he is about to renew his contract.
And Dana, if you take care of me, I’ll take care of you, he said.
