Advertisement

Scott Holtzman believes Nik Lentz underestimating him before UFC Phoenix but doesn't mind

[jwplayer jQjNrAgQ-FLu19iir]

PHOENIX – Nik Lentz and Scott Holtzman have competed on the same UFC Fight Night 123 card. As Lentz told MMAjunkie this week, though, he wasn’t aware of who Holtzman was until they were paired against each other at UFC on ESPN 1.

Holtzman (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) isn’t exactly an octagon newbie, having started his UFC run in August 2015. But, riding a three-fight winning into the lightweight meeting, he doesn’t seem particularly upset by Lentz’s (29-9-2 MMA, 13-6-1 UFC) remark.

“That’s how he is,” Holtzman told MMAjunkie during a media day on Friday. “He’s an arrogant guy. He’s kind of different. Look at his nickname, ‘The Carnie.’ He’s just a different guy. He don’t have to watch fights, man. It doesn’t matter. But that’s good for me, man.

“He’s underestimating me, for sure. He thinks he can just rely on his past and his experience to get in there and coast to a win, he’s wrong. He’s got his hands full. Whether he realizes it or not, he will soon.”

[jwplayer 7amkjjqL-RbnemIYZ]

It’s worth noting, though, that Lentz followed up his remarks about not knowing Holtzman with compliments toward his “very strong, very tough” opponent and assured he wasn’t overlooking him. If anything, Lentz believes Holtzman might be the one doing that.

“If you ever think that you’re going to fight someone in the UFC, and you don’t take it (expletive) serious, you’re going to get your head knocked off, and I take him very very seriously,” Lentz said. “And I actually have a feeling that he’s not taking me as seriously as he should. And that kind of gives me a little more motivation, a little more bloodlust, and I’m going to put it to him.”

Holtzman and Lentz meet on the preliminary card of Sunday’s UFC on ESPN 1, which takes place at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The lightweight bout airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+ and before the main card, also on ESPN.

Holtzman’s most recent octagon outing, a UFC 229 meeting against Alan Patrick last October, turned out rather nicely for “Hot Sauce,” who used some vicious elbows to earn his first knockout win in the UFC. But it also left him with a less-than-pleasant souvenir: injuries on both hands.

After addressing them, though, Holtzman says he’s not worried about his hands and that he won’t hold back.

“The hands are brittle – they have been,” Holtzman said. “But they’re healthy now. I had injured both of them last fight, but luckily they healed up pretty quick. I’ll be ready to go. You know me. I’m always going to throw something real hard, punches or kicks, so that’s what you’re getting from me.”

Holtzman acknowledges Lentz’s position in the division and the fact that he’s had some good wins. “He’s not flashy, but he’s on an uptick lately,” Holtzman said, and he believes a win over a “bigger name” like the octagon veteran would be a meaningful step up the 155-pound ladder.

“I think after this, I move into the top echelon guys, a top-15 opponent or top 20,” Holtzman said. “I think this should be better than top 20 but, yeah, with a win I’m moving up for sure, and I’m going to get on that Nashville card five weeks later.”

For more on UFC on ESPN 1, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

More News