Gaston Reyno looks to close out his career on home soil.
Gaston Reyno has one wish: to close out his fighting career in his hometown of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Reyno, a former Bellator fighter and current UFC Spanish commentator for Latin America, returns to action this Saturday at BKFC 78 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. Reyno sees this bout against Milton Volter as an opportunity to shoot his shot with the big bosses and make his case for the promotion to pay a visit to Uruguay.
“I would love to close out my career at the Antel Arena,” Reyno told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “When the UFC went to Uruguay at the Antel Arena, I couldn’t fight. I had a contract with another company (Combate Global), and we tried everything, and we couldn’t make it happen. … I still have Antel Arena in sight. I’ve never fought at home. The only time I’ve fought at home was at Punta del Este, which is home but not home. In Punta del Este there are more Brazilians and Argentinians than Uruguayans. I want to fight in Montevideo and I want to fight in that arena.
“If I win, and win well, I’m going to grab that microphone, look at Feldman and Conor McGregor and tell them that I want to take BKFC to South America. BKFC has never gone to South America, how is that possible? They did seven events in Asia. They did an event in Dubai. They had an event in a bull fighting arena in Marbella, an amazing event. How come we don’t have an event in South America? I’d love to open that door from Uruguay. I’d retire on top.
Reyno, 39, is arguably the most well-known MMA fighter to come out of Uruguay. Although no longer fighting in MMA, Reyno still feels the backing of his country. He’s confident BKFC could sell out the Antel Arena just like the UFC did in their first and only trip to Uruguay.
“Tonga” wants to fight on home soil before he calls it quits. It doesn’t matter who it’s against.
“If I fight a monster and I get broken, who cares, I don’t care about the result,” Reyno said. “I don’t want to be champion, become a millionaire. I’m happy with my life. I live commentary. I love where I work. I’m in love with my wife. I love my son. I adore the city I live in. I’m a happy man. I just want one thing: Share a night with my people in Montevideo, Uruguay. It sounds cliché, but it would be a dream come true. It would be the closing of my career.”
