Not a cheater, faker or PED abuser, Thibault Gouti explains rare 4th UFC chance

ROTTERDAM – It’s not often a fighter gets a fourth chance in the UFC after beginning a tenure with three straight losses. Thibault Gouti was one of the rare exceptions, and he made the most of what was almost certainly his last chance.

Gouti (12-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) joined the UFC roster in February 2016 with a perfect 11-0 record, only to suffer three consecutive losses. But at UFC Fight Night 115 on Saturday he managed to pick up his first octagon win with a first-round TKO of Andrew Holbrook (12-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in their lightweight bout, which took place at Ahoy Rotterdam in the Netherlands and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

It’s not as though Gouti’s losses were tightly contested, either. He was stopped inside the distance in every fight, and with UFC Fight Night 115 surely being his last chance to get a win, he delivered.

Few over the course of UFC history have got the same leniency as Gouti when it comes to wins and losses early in a career. He explained after the event why he thinks UFC brass decided to treat him differently than most.

“I am one of the only fighters who doesn’t cheat, taking substance,” Gouti told MMAjunkie in his post-fight scrum. “I don’t turn down the fights. There are many fighters who do this. I don’t fake injury. I will take any fight, anywhere. And I don’t miss my weight. I am very professional about my sport, about my career, and I think this is why they give me a shot one more time. This is professional fighting.”

Gouti said he’s grateful for every opportunity he’s been given so far, but he’s not going to get comfortable. He likely secured his roster spot for a few more fights with the win over Holbrook, but that’s not enough.

The Frenchman wants to prove that no matter his record, he belongs on the sport’s biggest stage in arguably it’s most competitive division. He’s going to ask for names the public is aware of in the 155-pound weight class, even if they’re not yet entirely realistic.

“I will take anybody – I’m not afraid of anyone,” Gouti said. “I train with the best, and I know what I do and what I train. Just before this fight I asked Sean Shelby to give me Joe Lauzon. I don’t think he took my request into consideration, because a kind of guy like Joe Lauzon, I am not a good matchup for him. Next time I would like to fight against a very good lightweight to show that I am (a good) fighter.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 115, check out the UFC Events section of the site.