Luis “Baboon” Palomino promises a “fight” not a brawl when he meets World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in a rematch that had the world talking and a fight who many are characterizing a “Fight of the year”.
The Roman Show caught up with Palomino prior to a training session where he said the original strategy to attack Gaethje took a U-turn thanks to an injury early in the first round. Palomino and Gaethje goes down September 18 on NBC Sports Network part of the WSOF 23 fight card.
“I got injured in the fight. If you notice the tape in the first kick we exchanged his leg goes across my ankles and it took my ankle. It took my ability to move,” he said. “The fight went a different route. That’s what happens…You have to fight through it. I couldn’t check the kicks.”
Watch the interview, below.
Gaethje and Palomino engaged in a brawl, so much so the fight earned WSOF large numbers in ratings, when it aired on NBC Sports network. But Palomino said he is feeling one-hundred percent and won’t feed in to exchanging blows.
“There was a different strategy to the fight,” he added. “I couldn’t follow strategy because of the injury. It cost me a lot. It took my ability to kick myself and I use a lot of kicks myself and a lot of lateral movement. The pain wasn’t let it me do it. Once the pain set through I said ‘lets go man’.”
Palomino holds victories over highly classified fighters like the UFC’s Jorge Masvidal , Gesias Cavalcante and others.
The MMA Masters, which is now located in Doral, standout fighter said this time he will give a “Fight not a brawl”.
“I am going to the fight with my heart,” he said.
The Peruvian said he has stepped up his cardio and will head to Arizona two weeks before the fight to get his body used to the different elevation.
“I felt a big different with my wind,” he said. “I’ll be there two weeks before the fight. I stepped up my cardio.”
Reaching his mid-30’s, Palomino, who has been in the fight game for over ten years, says there is no stopping him from reaching his goals.
“I am not slowing down,” he said. “There’s improvement in every single fight. If there wasn’t improvement I would consider slowing down. I feel explosive.”
He also noted the recent news of WSOF featuring a lightweight tournament and added that his mind is focused on Gaethje, but is looking forward to fighting the winner.
Meanwhile, he has also ventured into the world of entertainment performing stunts in Spanish soap operas and episodic series.
