UFC’s Matt Mitrione Working Passed Personal Problems Following TUF China Finale Win

Finishing Shawn Jordan in Macau, China, earned Matt Mitrione a Performance of the Night bonus, but ultimately getting the win stood out in front of all else on Saturday.

Mitrone knocked out Jordan with just one second left in the first round, and the heavyweight said securing the win was more about his self-worth than strengthening his hold on his spot on the UFC roster.

“To be honest, I don’t even think about my job security, but for my own self-worth it was really important [to get the win],” Mitrione said during the post-fight press conference. “We addressed things that I was too hesitant on, especially my defensive wrestling and my offensive aggression when it comes down to a person that wants to wrestle.”

Part of what Mitrione worked on ahead of his TUF China Finale fight was his willingness to pull the trigger on his offense, the fighter explained. If there was an opportunity to take advantage of Jordan, Mitrione would take it, and he said that’s exactly what happened in Macau.

“If I ever lose again, I will never lose because I’m being tentative. We wanted to address that, and I feel like we did that tonight,” he said.

Mitrione revealed that he had personal problems heading to the fight, but admitted that they were mainly self-imposed. While not revealing what those problems were, Mitrione said he has begun to move forward with his life and get back on track.

“I’m passed it for the most part,” he said, when asked if he continues to deal with his issues. “My personal problems were all self-inflicted, self-imposed. I’m an idiot. I do a lot of dumb things sometimes. I started getting out of my own way a little bit more and let myself get off the path I should be on versus forcing myself to run through the forrest.”