Flyweight Justin Scoggins not afraid to say he’s the best after UFC Fight Night 33

BRISBANE, Australia – UFC newcomers are lucky to get a platform on TV and in post-event press conferences.

Flyweight Justin Scoggins got both, and he’s not afraid to declare his arrival in MMA after just one fight in the octagon.

“I understand I’m new to the UFC and I’ve got to work my way up, but I’m going to get in there,” he said after a first-round TKO of Richie Vaculik at UFC Fight Night 33, which took place Saturday at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Australia.

Scoggins (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) stopped Vaculik (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) late in the first-round of their FOX Sports 2-televised preliminary-card bout.

“Whoever (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby and my managers decide is the next fight for me, that’s the one I’m going to take,” Scoggins continued, “because I’m the best in the world, and that’s what I’m here to prove.”

Best in the world? Isn’t that a little bold for a first-timer? Not if you’re the 21-year-old Scoggins, who extended his unbeaten pro streak to eight fights.

“If you believe something in your mind, which I do, it’s going to become real,” he said. “I don’t think you should ever sell yourself short. Don’t put a cap on greatness. My goals are infinite. I’m going to keep moving up and improving my skills, and I’m never going to say anything different.”

Scoggins is already good at saying the right thing. The audience at the BEC didn’t appreciate the way the referee waved off the fight shortly after he gained back mount on Vaculik and flurried with punches. When he first stepped up to the mike for his televised post-bout interview, he was booed.

Then, he won the crowd over with an earnest observation of the hospitality he received in Australia, and he suddenly got cheers. When he asked Shelby for a match at UFC Fight Night 35, which takes place next month near his hometown in Georgia, he received another warm reception.

And anyway, he doesn’t regret the way the fight was called.

“It’s my job to go in there and dominate the fight, which, obviously I was doing that,” Scoggins said. “I got him in a bad position and already dropped him once, so the referee’s job is to make sure to keep the guys safe. If you wanted me to punch him a few more times in the head, I could have done that for you, too. I’m just doing my job.”

It’s a job Scoggins imagined doing since he was, well, too young to vote.

“This has just been a crazy awesome experience for me,” he said. “This has been a lifelong dream, and I’ve really been taking in everything I’ve seen around me, whether I’m getting booed or everybody’s cheering, it’s all part of the experience. I’m really hoping that after my performance tonight, they will put me on the (Georgia) card, or as soon as possible.”

The topic of who’s next is secondary to the newcomer. Scoggins thinks he’s the best in the world, and he’ll fight whomever the UFC puts in front of him. He’s waiting for somebody to prove his statement wrong.

“I don’t have an opponent in mind,” he said. “I understand I’m new to the UFC and I’ve got to work my way up, but I’m going to get in there.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 33, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.