Brandon Thatch taking time off to heal, retool fighting style

It happened quickly, that Brandon Thatch took the UFC’s welterweight division by storm.

With first-round stoppage wins in his first two fights with the promotion, including a “Knockout of the Night” win in his debut, the Coloradan is admittedly still soaking in all the buzz from his fast start – which includes eight straight wins before signing with the UFC.

But now Thatch (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is ready to sit back for a moment, nurse up and come back healthier – and, he hopes, even better.

“I’m still riding a big high from this year. It’s exciting to see a few things pan out and come together like I thought they should,” Thatch recently told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’ve been nursing some injuries and getting by, but this last fight I pushed it a little too far.

“I’m going to get my body taken care of and as soon as I’m ready, I’ll be ready to rock and roll. I’ll be fighting sooner rather than later, for sure. I want to keep the momentum going and stay in it while I’m hot.”

Thatch, who started in karate at age 16 and segued to MMA after a stint in kickboxing, wants to keep the crowd-pleasing style that’s won him notice with the UFC. But also believes he needs to implement changes that will bring him longevity in the promotion.

“I’ve sat down with my coaching staff to talk about my fighting style,” he said. “It’s been successful thus far, but as the competition gets more steep, I’ll have to reevaluate some of the game plans. There are guys you’ll have to outpoint, there are submissions, some guys are just tough and you have to go the distance.”

Thus far, Thatch has been able to overwhelm opponents on their feet before the fight ever goes to the mat. He has yet to face someone with the ability to take him down at will and outgrapple him, and in the upper echelons of the 170-pound class, wrestlers and submission artists abound.

Denver’s Grudge Training Center, where he trains for his UFC bouts, is known for producing efficient strikers, but also for nurturing some of the best talent inside the octagon, with alums such as Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Melvin Guillard, Shane Carwin and Brendan Schaub.

Thatch’s first-round decimation of Paulo Thiago earlier this month at UFC Fight Night 32 was the kind of performance that should bring him an opponent with more name recognition. While never a title contender, Thiago was far more experienced in facing high-level competition, having faced onetime title challengers Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Diego Sanchez. The speed at which he was felled was proof that Thatch could be ready for big things.

Thatch is noncommittal about the names he wants to fight, but he does think he’s ready for a step up.

“I’m going to do what’s right for my career, but you want to see where you stand,” he said. “You want to know where you’re at and constantly want to test yourself. I want to see where I stand and what needs to be improved. I’m ready to take on some names. I’m still scoping the scene and looking at my competition and where to take it.

“It’s a dangerous weight class all the way around. We’ve got juice to go all the rounds, and we still have knockout power. It’s an exciting weight class, for sure.”

Some would say Thatch is one of the brightest parts of that division. But despite the ample praise he’s received in the short time he’s been with the UFC, he’s convinced he has a long way to go before he is deserving of it.

“I try to not play into the hype too much,” he said. “Then I have expectations that I put on. As long as I’m performing at the level I am, I feel happy. In the end, it definitely is good to hear and be noticed. It’s an amazing feeling for sure.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 32, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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