Ollie Schmid spoke to reporters on Saturday following his hard-fought victory against Keiichiro Nakamura at UFC Fight Night 293 in Las Vegas.
Unanimous Decision Victory at Meta APEX
Schmid improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 5-3 and secured his first promotional win by defeating Nakamura via unanimous decision in the final preliminary bout at the Meta APEX. Entering the matchup as a significant underdog with Nakamura positioned as nearly a 4-1 betting favorite, Schmid dominated the opening two rounds before successfully weathering a late surge from his opponent in the third frame.
Post-Fight Reflections and Future Plans
Reflecting on his performance, Schmid described his emotions to sports.yahoo.com by saying, “Bliss, happiness, joy – all the above. I feel great. A couple bruises, but as (Dan) Hooker says, it’s just a scratch. I knew he was going to be tough, and he was. He was very tough. I didn’t expect him to be so tough. I hit him with everything I had and the kitchen sink. He’s a great fighter.”
Schmid noted that his previous promotional appearance in May provided valuable preparation despite its brevity, stating, “In May, even though it was short and fast and chaotic, it allowed me to get a good insight into this whole system that is the UFC. It really allowed me to visualize and see everything very clearly coming into this fight. I was very comfortable and very confident.”
Looking ahead, Schmid expressed a desire to remain active in the featherweight division once he recovers from his injuries, explaining, “I’m always looking to be active. Right now, I’ve just got to heal up and I leave the rest to my coaches and the UFC. I know that if I come in here fully prepared, I can beat any featherweight on this planet.”
