Russell Doane on UFC-Singapore win: 'I was going to take his head home to my family'

SINGAPORE – With a four-fight losing skid, Russell Doane wasn’t thinking about the consequences of another loss as he entered UFC Fight Night 111. He said that mentality allowed him to defeat Kwan Ho Kwak.

Prior to his first-round TKO win over Kwak (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on today;’s UFC Fight Pass-streamed card at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, Doane (15-7 MMA, 3-4 UFC) hadn’t earned a victory in nearly three years. Few fighters get another opportunity after dropping four straight inside the octagon, but the Hawaiian was an exception.

With his UFC career likely on the line, Doane said he had no choice but to win.

“It’s been too long; it’s been way too long coming,” Doane told MMAjunkie. “There was no die. There was only do.”

Although had doubt came between UFC Fight Night 111 and his previous victory in July 2014, Doane said he didn’t consider giving up on his career. He knew if he continued to put in the necessary work, his fortunes would eventually change, and they did when he starched Kwak with punches inside the opening round.

“You lose because that’s part of the game,” Doane said. “What are you going to do? Are you going to quit? Are you going to stop? Champions don’t quit. Champions don’t stop. We just keep going no matter what.”

“There was no other way around it. I was going to knock him out, and I was going to take his head home to my family.”

With the pressure off, Doane said he wants to reward those who have stood by him through the difficult times. Once that’s taken care of, he plans to return to the octagon as soon as possible.

“I want to take my family on a small vacation; I want to show them how much I appreciate them supporting me,” Doane said. “Right after that I’m ready to get back in the gym. So I’m going to say September-ish, maybe (later) depending on how long this vacation goes.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 111, check out the UFC Events section of the site.