When it comes to Modestas Bukauskas’ next destination following his UFC release, the UK-based talent is open to the idea of competing for the likes of Bellator, PFL, and ONE Championship. But only if it gives him a direct line back to the UFC.
The UFC releasing Bukauskas, 27, earlier this month came as a surprise to many in the MMA community. Yes, he had lost three of his four bouts in the promotion, but his 1-3 record had some caveats. In his second fight, he lost to talented Australian light heavyweight Jimmy Crute. A fighter many in the division avoided. In his third bout, he fell to Michał Oleksiejczuk by split-decision in a matchup that ESPN announcer Jon Anik thought he “passed with flying colors.” And in Sept., Khalil Rountree beat and injured Bukauskas using a kicking technique some feel should be outlawed from the sport.
Suffice to say, his losses were not a story of poor performances and being knocked out several times. Bukauskas (11-5) knows another win would have given him more job security, but he also felt he’d shown enough during his four fights to earn another opportunity. Just like contemporaries in the same position — or worse — have gotten before and after him.
Modestas Bukauskas hoped to get one more chance in the Octagon
“Looking at the situation and scenario of how everything went, and me being a company man essentially, you would think that they would give me one more chance,” Bukauskas told MixedMartialArts.com. “I had really high hopes they would at least give me one more chance. When you look at it on paper, what’s the only thing that matters in this world? Results. Did I get the result? No. … I look at some other guys who are 1-3 in the UFC and get another chance, and I’m just like, surely that would have put me in line, with the same sort of thing, to get a second chance. I was upset straight away, but now I know what the goal is.”
The goal for “The Baltic Gladiator” is an eventual return to the Octagon. He doesn’t hold any animosity towards the organization for releasing him, and he isn’t looking at the situation as a chance to prove them wrong. His frustration now is internal, because he feels he did not deliver on the potential he showed being signed as a former Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion. The UFC offered opportunities, and he did not make the most of them. That stings more than his release from the promotion.
“They expected a lot of me, but unfortunately I didn’t fill out my potential. And in their case, they might think, well maybe he needs a bit more fights outside the UFC to come back and really go on a tear. … You can’t really understand how frustrating it is when you’ve got all the tools in the box, but when you get under the bright lights, you either take too long to get them out of there or you’re not doing it in the way you should. I need to figure that sh*t out. That’s my fault,” says Bukauskas.
Bukauskas only interested in promotions that can get him back to the UFC
For fighters that have been in his shoes, moving on to another major organization would be the obvious next step. However, the Lithuanian is not interested in possibly being locked into a multi-year deal that many other top-level organizations would require. He prefers the most direct route back to the UFC, and big-money offers from other organizations are not enough to deter him from that goal. Bukauskas is in pursuit of making his career memorable and he feels the UFC is the only place where he can do that.
“Conor McGregor said it before. There ain’t no anything else. All there is, is the UFC and that’s it. By no means is this any disrespect to anyone fighting for all the higher promotions out there. Because they’ve got some amazing athletes and really good guys. But realistically, when people talk about who’s the best in the world, they always refer to UFC fighters,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter so much about money at the minute. The money will come. You have to go out and perform. I want to be known. People say being famous has its downsides, but I want to be known. I want to be known as one of the best fighters in the world. The only way you’re gonna do that is in the UFC. … The only way I would consider going to one of those bigger promotions is if it gets me back to the UFC. That is it.”
Bukauskas: ‘I’ve jumped off the cliff and broke down at the bottom of it, now it’s time for me to work my way back up‘
Bukauskas admits his route back to the Octagon is likely to come in a US-based promotion, and LFA is a possible landing spot. He wants to expand his brand by adding another promotion’s light heavyweight title to his resume, so a return to Cage Warriors is less likely. However, before he can begin his second journey to the UFC he needs to heal from the knee injury he suffered last month. An injury that doctors say will need four to five months of recovery time. Making his return to the cage likely in the second quarter of 2022.
The last six months have been difficult for Bukauskas. He lost two fights, incurred a serious knee injury, was released from his dream job, lost sponsors, and even broke up with his girlfriend. It’s been a “sh*t time” as he puts it. But from his point of view, he’s at the bottom, and now he has a laser focus on beginning his rise back up. He is betting on himself and has no doubts he can get back to the UFC, and eventually win light heavyweight gold.
“I’m confident in myself that I will be able to do that. It’s a sh*t time right now. My motivation is always high, but there are times you’re sitting down in the dumps, in darkness, thinking what the hell do I do with myself? Life’s all about momentum. I’ve had all the crap thrown at me, I’ve jumped off the cliff and broke down at the bottom of it,” said Bukauskas. “Now it’s time for me to work my way back up. … It’s gonna make for one hell of a comeback story. You know what I mean? Got cut from the UFC, comes back, and does it.”