LAS VEGAS – Tyson Nam beat Jerome Rivera with a second-round TKO Saturday to open up the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 36 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Nam, who picked up his second straight knockout win after an 0-2 start to his UFC tenure.
Nam on the fight’s key moment
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 19: (L-R) Jerome Rivera punches Tyson Nam in their bantamweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“I feel great. I wasn’t sliding off to my left to line up my right hand. So I made that adjustment and caught him exactly with the same shot I put (Zarrukh) Adashev out with (in June).”
Nam on being a late bloomer
“The pandemic hit and all I could do is train. I was working and training before, but work was getting in the way of this. It’s the beginning of something, this late in my career. They say fine wine does age. I’m just that.”
THE COUNTER RIGHT! @TysonNam can throw 💣s at bantamweight!
[ Watch live on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/XP8ZHmOiI7
— UFC (@ufc) September 19, 2020
Nam on what he wants next
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 19: (R-L) Tyson Nam punches Jerome Rivera in their bantamweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“I really want to fight Joseph Benavidez. He’s a legend, we share a common opponent and we’re almost around the same age. That would feel great to fight him. … I’m thinking of fighting in December or January. I do like the idea of getting out of shape and then back in shape. It’s good for the mind, it’s good for the body.”
To hear more from Nam, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.