Andrey Pulyaev breaks down the comeback he needed against Nick Klein for first UFC win
Pulyaev (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) struggled in the first round against Klein (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex. But in the second, he found an opening, landed a kick to the body, and quickly closed in to get the TKO.
'Even in the first round, I noticed my opponent started getting tired,' Pulyaev told MMA Junkie at his post-fight news conference. 'My cornermen said it's time to start using your legs. In the second round, when we stood up, I felt it – he's too relaxed. I knew it was my chance. Before that body kick, I noticed he raised his hands. I made some punches and that body kick, and after that I knew it was time to finish him.'
Pulyaev, who is a protege of former Bellator champion Alexander Shlemenko, said going through some adversity was good in the first round. He was able to battle back in a way he fell short of in his UFC debut in March, a decision loss to Christian Leroy Duncan.
'It was good to prove to myself (against Klein), and now I know what I can do,' he said.
Check out Pulyaev's post-fight news conference in the video above.
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