EXCLUSIVE | Ulysses Diaz finds his 3-second BKFC record unbelievable, asks 'is that me?' every time he watches it
Just a week ago, Ulysses "The Monster" Diaz registered the record for the quickest knockout in professional combat sports. The Miami Pro boxer was fighting in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) against American debutant Donelei Benedetto and it was over in three seconds. In what was a mercurial show of brute power, Diaz landed a devastating overhand right that saw Benedetto crash to the ground unconscious. And just like that, the fight was over.
For Diaz, who spoke exclusively to MEAWW, the feat is still unbelievable. "Every time I look at the video, I ask myself 'Is that me?'" Much of this can be attributed to the preparation he undergoes ahead of each bout. When asked how he visualized the fight, the response was quite simple. "I’ve visualized this fight over and over and over in my mind every day and night I trained that same punch with my coach every day leading up to the fight," Diaz explained.
He added: "I just try to stay in a positive mindset and surround myself with people that have that same mindset also." The 39-year-old's career history reads 12-1-0 (Win-Loss-Draw). And for Diaz, the journey has been great by his own admission.
"From the beginning of my fighting career to this moment now has been a great journey for me. I’ve had amazing opportunities & Ihave traveled to amazing places to fight. I’ve also been able to meet people that have been a great help in getting me to where I am today," he opined.
Some of the best athletes take quite early to the sport while some are late bloomers. In Diaz's case, it was the former as he trained since the time he was seven. "I’ve had a passion for fighting for as long as I can remember," he said. "I’ve been training since the age of seven did some amateur fighting at 19 and now I’m living my dream of being a professional fighter." And just like every athlete, he has his role models.
"I have always been a huge fan of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield but when it comes to mentorship and role model, I would have to say my coach Orlando Cuellar aka Commander Zero," Diaz remarked when asked about who his idols were.
With 2020 being the kind of year it has been, the world of sports too came to a grinding halt as most tournaments across the world were delayed. For Diaz however, there was no break in training.
"When the pandemic first started, I was able to buy equipment and build a ring in my backyard, so I never had a pause in my training," said. With the year drawing to a close, Diaz has his goals for 2021 planned already. "The plan as of now for 2021 is to be the bare-knuckle fighting championship light heavyweight champion!" he signed off.