Will Louis Smolka seek a rematch with Brandon Moreno? Doubtful ... for now

UFC flyweight Louis Smolka was extremely candid about the fallout from his loss to Brandon Moreno nearly three months ago at UFC Fight Night 96.

Smolka (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) admitted turning to booze before clearing his head to compete against Ray Borg (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) on Friday at UFC 207. But that process didn’t include a vow to get revenge – at least for now.

“I’m not going to be a poor sport and cry about it and constantly hound the kid for a rematch,” Smolka today told MMAjunkie Radio. “He came in and did what he was supposed to do. He beat me. Props to him”

Moreno locked in a guillotine choke that forced Smolka to tap in the first round of their meeting, snapping a four-fight winning streak that put him on the short list for future title contenders.

Since then, Smolka has leaned on his coaches to sharpen his skills and resolved to get more cage time, which is how the fight with Borg materialized so soon after his setback. The bout opens Friday’s UFC 207 pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Borg is also on the path to redemption following a decision loss to Justin Scoggins that snapped a three-fight streak.

Although Smolka’s bout with Borg was booked as a replacement for Sergio Pettis, another strong prospect in the flyweight division, he’s let go of any lingering resentment over the switch.

“I don’t care either way,” Smolka said. “I don’t want to have to wait for him to not show up, but we’ll see what happens down the road”

Smolka’s first job is to get back in the win column, of course. He needs to get momentum before he starts thinking too far into the future, so the task ahead is the most important one.

Moreno, a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 24,” piggybacked off his win over Smolka with a recent decision over Ryan Benoit, further advancing his interests at 125 pounds.

The two have a past, and might make for a snappy title eliminator rematch. But Smolka said he’ll let that lie for now.

“I don’t want to be over here constantly screaming at the kid to give me a rematch and ruining his day,” he said. “If we end up fighting again, I’ll take it. I’ll take it pretty quickly, to be honest. But I don’t want to be a poor sport about it”

For more on UFC 207, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.