About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani is a realist when mapping out his rise through the UFC welterweight division.
Lebosnoyani (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) continued his perfect start in the promotion at UFC Fight Night 292 when he scored a doctor's stoppage TKO of Farman Hasanov at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. "The American Bandit" had been craving his first finish inside the octagon and now that he's got it, he can add more self-belief of what he can do at this level.
"I've had self-doubt of, 'Do I have the same capability to finish fighters at this level that I did on the regional scene?'" Lebosnoyani told MMA Junkie Radio. "Then the added pressure of my fan base saying, 'You're a decision guy, you can't get finishes,' this and that. To be able to get it done for myself but also for my supporters, there's a lot of emotions that came over me, and I was very, very happy."
After the fight, Lebosnoyani called out longtime veteran Jake Matthews (22-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC), who is booked vs. Tahir Abdullayev at UFC Fight Night 294 on Nov. 21 in Qatar. After taking some time to digest and realize he might have to fly to Australia for UFC Fight Night 298 on Feb. 6 in Sydney if he wants it to happen, Lebosnoyani is reconsidering, instead name-dropping another vet.
"I did not think that one through," Lebosnoyani said of his Matthews callout. "I didn't share it with my team. It was something I kind of came up with on my own. I think just based off his fighting style, he's an exciting guy to watch with a lot of experience and if I beat him, I feel like I gain a lot of recognition. But I didn't put two and two together. Everyone is like, 'You want to fight in Sydney?' I said, 'Hell no, I want to fight in Vegas.' I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew. But if it happens in Sydney, I guess I've got to just kind of do it now.
"There's Neil Magny who is a guy who if you beat, you get some recognition. I think my manager Jason House, he's ultimately the mastermind behind my career. I'm trusting him. I haven't said no yet, and I'm not planning on saying now. Whoever they bring to the table is going to be the right person for me at the right time and I will fight them."
Ultimately, Lebosnoyani won't complain if he gets either assignment, or something else entirely. He's no trying to rush his career, and in fact, doesn't see himself in the title conversation at 170 pounds until the early 2030s. Given his age and experience level, Lebosnoyani wants to be 100 percent sure that when he share the cage with the most elite names in his weight class, he will belong there.
"I think I'm probably four to six years away from that, if we're being honest," Lebosnoyani said. "I'm 27 years old. I think I still have a lot to learn. I have a lot of experience to gain and my mentality is sort of a very empty-cup mentality. I just want to continue learning, I want to continue growing and I believe the universe has a plan for me. I have my own vision, but the universe has a plan for me.
"I just trust that the universe will move the pieces of this puzzle for me in the right place, at the exact right time. I think I will have all the pieces together around that time. When I'm in my physical prime and gain the experience necessary. I'm in no rush. People in this sport want to rush to the fame, to the title, to the money. I was never in it for those reasons. I was always in it for developing my skills."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani lays out surprising title timeline after 3-0 UFC start
Source: Sports
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