Cortavious Romious punched his ticket to the UFC with a unanimous decision win over Michael Imperato on the Contender Series on Aug. 20.
“It’s like a dream come true, honestly,” Romious told MMASucka. “Just doing it for 10 years and the hard work has finally paid off. It feels good.”
Romious started his amateur career in March 2015, going 7-3 before launching his professional career in June 2018. Romious got his first Contender Series shot last year, losing to Ramon Taveras. Romious rebounded with a win over Erik Vo in April and was called for another crack at the Contender Series against Imperato.
Romious said he initially felt like he wasn’t sure he did enough to earn a contract from Dana White and the UFC, but he changed his mind after rewatching the bout.
“It was a pretty scrappy fight,” Romious said. “I could’ve done more but it was a learning experience. I was being cautious, because I went out there and fought stupid last year, so I just didn’t want to go out there and make a repeat of myself.”
Romious said he wanted to finish Imperato, who hung tough for all 15 minutes of their bantamweight contest.
“I was disappointed about that, but I did win and dominate, so I can’t be too upset about it, you know?” Romious said.
Romious said he tries to make his fights as entertaining as possible.
“I just want to go out there and look good, and if I can, get the finish,” he said. “I know [the UFC] wants the best, and they look for people with talent. I know that’s what I bring every time I step into the Octagon. I feel pretty good and confident about the entire thing, yeah.”
Romious’s current nickname, “Are You Not Entertained?” fits the exciting style he tries to bring into the cage. He said he’s looking to change it, however.
“I wanted to change that but I have not come up with anything,” he said. “I wanted the crowd to come up with a name for me. I guess I gotta get my foot in the door a little bit more and get more fights. Me personally, I’m not a big fan of it.”
Romious said he will continue to carry the same style, though.
“Go out there and dominate, honestly. Just be aggressive and just look good. It’s a pretty crowded division. I want to go out there and stand out every time I fight. I’ll make sure I bring everything.”
Romious said he’s down to fight whoever in his Octagon debut.
“Honestly, I’ll fight anybody the boss man tells me to fight,” he said. “I’m not picky when it comes to that. A job’s a job. I’m here to fight the best, and I want nothing but the best.”
Romious said he wants to fight before the holidays.
“Before Thanksgiving or Christmas. If I can get that to happen, that would be great. I just want to eat my turkey,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve missed Thanksgiving too many years now. I’ve not enjoyed a single holiday since I’ve decided to be an MMA fighter, and I’m tired of it.”
Featured Image credit:
Embed from Getty Images
