LAS VEGAS – Daniel Zellhuber was able to prove to himself he’s UFC quality in his most recent fight.
Zellhuber defeated veteran Lando Vannata this past April and the victory has done wonders to his confidence. The 24-year-old entered UFC on ESPN 44 after losing his UFC debut and had a ton of pressure to show that he was ready for the big stage.
“Imagine working your whole life for something and there are a lot of fighters that make it to the UFC, but never really get a win, and I didn’t want to be one of those guys,” Zellhuber said. “For me, getting this win means I belong in the UFC. I don’t know, it’s kind of a weird feeling (to lose). You work your whole life, you come, and I lose to someone that I truly believe that I can beat. Then I fight Lando Vanata. He has a lot of experience, so I don’t know. I just feel that win kind of changed my life at some point.”
Zellhuber (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) doesn’t think his UFC debut properly showed what he’s capable of, but his win over Vannata did. Returning on Sept. 16 against Christos Giagos at Noche UFC in Las Vegas, the Mexican prospect is determined to deliver once again, and he’s got all the confidence in the world to do it.
“My first fight, you saw it, it was trash,” Zellhuber said. “I wanted to punch the guy, but I just feel weird. And this last fight, I fought someone that’s been there for a long time and has fought the top guys. He gets to fight good fights with Bobby Green, and Bobby Green is a guy that in my mind (is high up). But then I saw my fight with Lando and was like, ‘Alright, I’m at that level.’ It helps with the confidence, for sure.”
