UFC Fight Night 119's Niko Price might be underdog on paper, but truth will come out in cage

SAO PAULO – UFC welterweight Niko Price accepted a fight with Vicente Luque, and suddenly found himself an underdog. Thankfully for him, it’s not an unfamiliar position.

“That’s all paper,” Price told MMAjunkie prior to his FS2-televised fight at UFC Fight Night 119. “When we touch the mat and the door shuts, that’s the truth. The real me comes out, the real him comes out, and we’ll see who’s better at the end of 15 minutes.”

So, in other words, Price (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) isn’t bothered by his status heading into the fight. As long as he keeps getting called, he’s happy. Luque (11-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) stepped up after Luan Chagas (15-2-1 MMA, 1-1-1 UFC) withdrew from the event, saving him from a night of lost work.

“I’m so happy that he stepped up, because … he’s a fighter, just like I’m a fighter, and we’re both going to go in there, and we’re going to fight, and it’s going to be awesome. Hopefully, we can put a good show on and get a bonus.”

As Price previously mentioned, he could use the extra check to deal with the fallout from Hurricane Irma in his home state of Florida. But more than anything, he wants to work his way up the UFC’s welterweight ladder.

So far, he’s managed to buck the odds. He’s been favored to lose in all of his octagon bouts, and has won each time. Most recently, he shocked Alan Jouban in the first round to extend his unbeaten streak to 10.

“When I get in there, I’m going to bring it every time, whether I’m sick or anything,” Price said. “I’m going to come in there and throw down, and you better respect it, or you’re going to end up like Jouban.”

Check out the above video to hear Price’s thoughts on the fight.

For more on UFC Fight Night 119, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.