UFC on ESPN 71: Andrey Pulyaev post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 71 winner Andrey Pulyaev talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his second-round TKO of Nick Klein in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – Andrey Pulyaev met the media Saturday after his second-round TKO win over Nick Klein at UFC on ESPN 71.
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.
