Scott Jorgensen ready to move past 'rough patch' at UFC Fight Night 42

(This story first appeared at KTVB.com.)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Scott Jorgensen is one of the most positive people you’re ever likely to meet. But the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight struggles to maintain a smile when he remembers his most recent appearance.

“In reality, I didn’t feel like I had fought,” Jorgensen told USA TODAY Sports. “I had just gotten my rhythm going. I was really starting to take off. I hit him with dang near everything I threw at him. He wasn’t able to take me down. He wasn’t able to hit me.

“And so, just as I started getting going, the fight got stopped. Immediately, it was like, ‘That didn’t just happen.’”

It was March, and Jorgensen – a former Boise State University wrestler who still lives and trains in Boise – was facing Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Jussier Formiga in his hometown of Natal, Brazil. As the two felt each other out in the early going of their contest, Formiga pushed inside, and the crown of his head inadvertently struck Jorgensen’s chin, instantly dazing Jorgensen and sending him crashing to the floor. Formiga seized the opportunity, leaping to his stunned opponent’s back and sinking in a rear-naked choke.

A master of the hold, Formiga’s application was perfect. Jorgensen finally regained his senses only to realize he had no choice but to tap out. Referee Wernei Cardoso missed the head butt, and Jorgensen was credited with a loss.

His management team appealed the result, but the Brazilian athletic commission charged with overseeing events in the country denied the request.

“All I wanted was a rematch,” Jorgensen said. “You can say it’s on my record, but I don’t really care. I wanted the rematch.

“The Brazilian commission said because the referee failed to make a call, they weren’t going to overturn it, which in my opinion is quite [expletive]. That’s the whole reason the appeal process is there: checks and balances. From then on, I knew I wasn’t going to get my immediate rematch.”

And so the 31-year-old Jorgensen looks to put that frustrating experience behind as he returns to action at Saturday’s “UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov” event, which takes place at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M.

“Young Guns” Jorgensen (14-9 mixed martial arts, 3-5 UFC) meets Danny “The Gremlin” Martinez (16-5, 0-1) on the FOX Sports 1-broadcast preliminary card (6 p.m. MT), which precedes a six-bout main card that airs on the same channel (8 p.m. MT).

The controversial result against Formiga means Jorgensen, for the first time in his career, is mired in a three-fight losing streak. Yet Jorgensen is still considered one of the most well-respected veterans in the division, as his record is littered with the names of the absolute best fighters in the flyweight class.

And so Jorgensen insists he’s putting the frustration of March behind him as he prepares for his latest challenge.

“I don’t let it get to me,” Jorgensen said. “Every time we step in that cage, every round is a whole new fight. It doesn’t matter what happened the round before. You can forget that immediately. You have the next round to improve or continue doing what you were doing.

“I know I fight killers. I don’t pick my opponents. I’ve never asked for a easy guy. I’ve always wanted to fight the best in the world, and I have, and that’s going to result in losses. … Going into this fight, it doesn’t matter. Everyone talks about it. They’re like, ‘Oh, Jorgensen has lost it.’ I haven’t lost it. I just hit a rough patch. Everybody hits a rough patch in their career, and with the caliber of fighters that I’ve fought in the past, this is nothing.”

Oddsmakers have pegged Jorgensen as a near 2-to-1 favorite over Martinez, who boasts a better career winning percentage but hasn’t faced the same quality of opponents throughout his professional tenure. But odds are certainly no guarantee of success, and Jorgensen finds himself in a must-win situation.

In 2010, Jorgensen came up short in a bid for the UFC’s inaugural bantamweight title. If he ever wants a second chance to challenge for UFC gold, a Saturday win seems a near certainty. Jorgensen knows it, and he’s ready to deliver the goods.

“If you’re in the UFC, you’re a tough guy, and I’ve learned that the hard way a couple of times, overlooking guys,” Jorgensen admitted. “Danny has got a lot of fights, even more than me, but no amount of experience will put you up against what I’ve faced inside the UFC and the WEC. He hasn’t shined on a big stage. He’s beaten mediocre guys throughout his career. He’s lost the big fights that count.

“I’ve been around the block. There’s nothing that you can shine in my face that’s going to make me freeze up and wonder what to do next. I’m going to crawl out there, and I’m going to impress myself. I’m going to impress the fans. I’m going to impress the UFC. I’m going to build my win streak back and fight for that title again.

“I fell short in 2010. I’m coming back for it 2014.”