Bubba Jenkins indicated he won’t lie to the public.
The general consensus is accurate: Jenkins (19-5) wants to take down opponent Brendan Loughnane (25-4) repeatedly in their upcoming Nov. 25 bout at the 2022 PFL Championships in New York.
An NCAA Division I wrestling champion and freestyle junior world champion, Jenkins evolved all facets of his game in recent years. While striking and jiu-jitsu will likely be on display, too, Jenkins made it clear Loughnane should come prepared to wrestle.
“The feeling is the same that it’s been,” Jenkins told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a virtual pre-fight news conference Tuesday. “We’re just working hard, chopping wood, grinding it out. … I don’t know why he’s in Thailand. He should be in Uzbekistan or Russia or one of them countries, but Thailand is a good place, I guess.”
Jenkins, 34, compared himself to an alligator – unafraid to fight his foe on land but prefers to do so in the water where he has a clear advantage on paper.
“One hundred percent,” Jenkins said. “We all know that. We can act like that’s not what it’s going to be, but we’re going to get in the cage, and he’s going to throw some things at me. Then I’m going to slip and move and dump him on his ass. That’s where the fight is going to start and end. That’s what the plan is. That’s the main focus. He’s going to do his best job to stay out of the water, out of the sharky waters. I’m going to be an alligator, come out the water, and get on the land with him. I’m going to do my best Movlid impression and go home with $1 million. That’s the game.”
Loughnane, 32, was also at the news conference Tuesday and called out Jenkins for (what he perceives) is lack of stamina. Though Loughnane called Jenkins a “proper warrior” he also accused his opponent of quitting.
Meanwhile, Jenkins is channeling the critical energy.
“He says that I’m a three-round fighter,” Jenkins said. “I’m planning to go all five rounds in all kinds of war and get that unblemished record of never being stopped off his record.”