Jose Ochoa believes he’s heading for a successful night at UFC 328.
The flyweight prospect is scheduled to face Clayton Carpenter in the opening bout of UFC 328 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Ochoa is aiming to rebound from his loss to Asu Almabayev last July.
Ochoa Focused on Grappling Improvements
Ochoa is pleased with the Carpenter matchup, viewing it as an ideal chance to display his improved defensive wrestling. He says wrestling cost him victory against Almabayev.
“After my last showing against Asu, I’ve been working a ton on my grappling game,” Ochoa said. “I think this rival, Clayton, is precisely what the doctor ordered. I’ve been working a lot on my deficiencies as well as my strengths, and on Saturday I will show what I’ve been working on at Chute Box. I expect a great performance.”
Knockout Prediction
Ochoa envisions not just a win, but a stoppage victory over Carpenter. He believes he has the power to be the first to stop Carpenter with strikes. All eight of Ochoa’s wins have come by stoppage, seven of them by KO or TKO.
“I have the power to stop him,” Ochoa said. “I believe I have the punching power, specifically the left hand, and I think that it will ring his bell on Saturday.”
Ochoa’s UFC Journey
Ochoa has faced a challenging path in the UFC, especially for a newcomer in his early 20s. He has fought and defeated veteran Cody Durden. He also suffered decision losses to Lone’er Kavanagh and Almabayev, who are considered current contenders.
- Ochoa defeated Cody Durden.
- He lost decisions to Lone’er Kavanagh and Asu Almabayev.
“Once you’re in the UFC, you’re only fighting high-level fighters, so you can’t expect to have easy fights or fighters with little will or strength,” Ochoa said. “I’ve had it tough, yeah, but I’m also showing I have the level to compete. This upcoming fight is a good fight for me, and I think it’s going to push me to be fighting for bigger opportunities in my UFC career.”
The fight takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.