Jordan Rinaldi welcomes 'huge underdog' status in home fight: 'Kind of takes the pressure off'

CHARLOTTE – There are a few added pressure factors that come with fighting at home – like, for instance, making sure you’re not getting “murdered or anything” in front of your loved ones.

It’s a good thing, then, that Charlotte’s Jordan Rinaldi (13-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has something to balance out the weight of expectations when he meets Gregor Gillespie (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)  in the FOX-televised main card of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 27.

“Pressure is there, a little bit,” Rinaldi said after open workouts in anticipation of the lightweight bout, which takes place at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. “But me being a huge underdog kind of takes the pressure off. I’m not supposed to win this fight. And when I go out there and shock everybody, I’m going to love it even more.

“The pressure is there, fighting in front of the friends and family, you’ve got to make sure your mom and your wife and your dad, everyone doesn’t see you get murdered or anything. But, at the same time, it’s just great to have the opportunity to fight here. And, like I said, being the underdog really helps.”

Rinaldi isn’t off on his self-assessment of the odds. He is, in fact, the second biggest underdog on the card behind Godofredo Pepey. He is looking to get his first winning streak in the UFC after a 1-1 start, while Gillespie, who’s never lost an MMA bout, looks for a fourth UFC win.

Rinaldi is well aware of the dangers presented by Gillespie, a “stud” with good wrestling and “fantastic cardio.” But Rinaldi is also confident that he’s in the best shape of his life – and that, while he hopefully won’t need all three rounds, he’s prepared to fight them.

Rinaldi has previously spoken about the tough road that led him this far – one that he even considered deserting altogether. So, as he gets to walk out to his home crowd ahead of what could be his biggest win yet, Rinaldi relishes a unique opportunity.

“A lot of people that know me – I mean, my closest friends know how much I work and everything like that,” Rinaldi said. “But the ones that might have known me a little bit in high school, maybe in college knew me, acquaintances and stuff, they don’t really know how much hard work and time I’ve put in this.

“I’ve been in this sport for over 10 years now, and it’s been a brutal journey along with injuries and losses and good things and bad things. It’s going to be great for them to see the culmination of my hard work.”

To hear more from Rinaldi, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC on FOX 27, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.