Cezar Mutante admits mistake in fight against Dollaway: 'I was reckless and paid the price'

C. Mutante (photo) was defeated by Dollaway in Natal. Photo: Eduardo Oliveira

UFC Fight Night 38, held last Sunday (23) in Natal, was devastating for the intentions of Cezar Mutant. The TUF Brazil 1 champion was looking for his fourth consecutive victory in the UFC, but was knocked out by CB Dollaway just 39 seconds into the first round.

Mutante received a lot of criticism regarding his stance in combat, as he went on the attack with everything on top of the North American. In an interview with the Combate channel website, he acknowledged that he made a mistake. “I was hasty. That's the definition of what happened there. I landed a first hit, and he went into the cage. Inside the octagon everything is very fast. You have fractions of a second to make a decision. I saw the opportunity for a knockout there. I went up, followed my instinct and bet. I took a risk, and I don't think anyone can achieve anything in life if they don't take risks. It was not a question of underestimating or exaggerated self-confidence. I took the risk and went inside. But it went wrong this time, what should I do? I went a little out of character. I should have waited longer, feinted before entering, but now it's over. I can't keep thinking about the 'if'. It’s gone”, said Mutante.

“People are criticizing, but that's it, I was hasty. Now it’s time to accept criticism with humility and work hard on it so it doesn’t happen again. I don't fight like that, everyone knows. I'm more cautious. But it was a serious mistake and I paid dearly for it. I couldn't have exposed myself so much, especially in the first round, when both people's energy is full. But I don't have to find an excuse. I made a mistake and that was it”, continued the fighter.

With the result in Natal, Mutante has a record of seven wins and three losses in professional MMA.