LAS VEGAS – Vinicius Salvador has leaned into the mental side of the fight game going into UFC Fight Night 241, and he thinks that’ll produce a spectacular result against Adrian Yanez.
After losing his first two UFC appearances by split decision in the flyweight division, Salvador (14-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) was at a loss about how things have gone so wrong. He earned a contract for a nasty TKO win on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2022, but his run on the big stage has been difficult to grasp.
That’s why Salvador made some adjustments for Saturday’s matchup with Yanez (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex (ESPN+). The fight will happen at bantamweight, and Salvador said he’s done what’s necessary to get over the fact his UFC record could be flipped at 2-0 if a few minor breaks had gone his way.
“Coming off of two losses, after those I’ve been working a lot on my mental aspect,” Salvador told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Both of them being split decisions, it’s not something you expect, so you need to work on your mental side to get back in the game. I’m feeling ready now. I’m feeling 100 percent, and I went back to my origins, and I feel as good as I did when I came into Contender Series.”
Salvador’s spirits are boosted by his opportunity at UFC Fight Night 241. Yanez is coming off consecutive losses, as well, but he’s a far more known commodity in the company and has been ranked at 135 pounds.
One perspective could be that the UFC put this fight together to help Yanez get back on track, and the betting odds agree with that as he is currently a sizeable -380 favorite. Salvador, however, looks at it differently.
“I was actually really surprised UFC put me against him,” Salvador said. “He is someone. There’s a spot in the rankings with him and he’s in the pecking order in the division. What I think is the UFC did that to me because they trusted me. They put me against an opponent that is tough and hard to overcome. I cannot sleep on him. I have to be very grounded mentally and physically. I can’t leave any openings for anything because he’s a guy like me who likes to knock people out.”
Although both men have proven power when throwing strikes in the cage, Salvador, 27, said he only sees the result going one way.
“It’s going to be a knockout, rest assured,” Salvador said. He’s a tough guy. He can take a punch. But you know what? Write it down, first round, I’m going to knock him out.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
