UFC 210’s Jenel Lausa made $6 his first fight

UFC Filipino flyweight Jenel Lausa began MMA in 2011, and went just 2-2. Then he found his rhythm and won four in a row which got him into the UFC, where he won his debut vs. Yao Zhikui in November. Inspired by Manny Pacquiao, Lausa also went 7-0 as a pro boxer from 2014-2106, winning the interim Philippines Boxing Federation super bantamweight title.

Now 28, on Saturday Lausa fights Chechnya’s Magomed Bibulatov in the opening fight of UFC 210. He has a wife and son, and does not want his family to endure the hardship he did growing up.

I pretty much fought to be able to provide for family, and I still do, said Lausa to Justin Ong for Channel NewsAsia over the phone from his hotel in Buffalo, New York.

Definitely my old lifestyle, what I used to do, is motivation for me. Now I’m in a much better financial state, and I’m able to help my parents back home. All of my family are in a much better place.

“A lot of people will be watching [in the Phillipines]. But I don’t feel pressure. I’m confident, relaxed and ready to go out there to have fun and just soak it in.”

“My training and preparation, everything has been on point. Magomed is definitely a good wrestler, it’s something we really respect and trained for and we’ll be ready come the fight.”

His recent Filipino predecessors have not shone brightly, with Dave Galera, Mark Eddiva, and Roldan Sangcha-an all failing to put together streaks, and being released.

“I’ve learned a lot from their past experience,” said Lausa. “I see the effort they’ve put in, and I make sure I too put in a lot to try and get a winning streak together.”

“I’m all about hard work.”

“I really look up to Manny for his humble beginnings and the hard work he put in. I’m trying my best to represent the Philippines and one day be as influential as Manny.”

Across the cage from him, Bibulatov has the fervent support of Chechnya’s dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, who gave him a Mercedes after he won a WSoF title.

In a recent Instagram post, Kadyrov offered Bibulatov some advice.

Bear wolf! When you go into the cage – count your steps,” he wrote, as translated by Karim Zidan for BE. “Make each of them throws off the worthless husks of emotions, thoughts and predictions. They, themselves, only ship your brain, and dilute the spirit to slow down the speed of your hands and feet. When you enter, you must feel as confident in your abilities and natural skills as a seasoned wolf and bear unflappable, capable of lightning and crushing blow … then, as much as possible to concentrate and gather together all the concentration and end the opponent slowly, but convincingly, unreservedly, but nobly. So that everyone could see that in a fair fight Chechens brilliantly defeated the opponent… so that even those who still a minute ago passionately rooted for your opponent now joyfully cried – “Akhmat – POWER !!!

So Lausa vs Bibulatov may look like just the first fight on the card, on UFC Fight Pass, but for the fighters, there is a world on the line.