Nikolas Motta a Product of Patience

Nikolas Motta survived some initial growing pains and appears to have settled into a midcard role in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division. He credits the organization for its slow trigger finger in relation to his development.

“My UFC career didn’t have an easy start,” Motta told Sherdog.com. “There were lots of ups and downs. I see that experience and maturity make a big difference. The UFC is a whole new world. It’s the sport’s highest level. About 80% of fighters who join the UFC stick around for a short time before being let go. The level is too high.

“Very few manage to stick around for a long time,” he added. “A lot of folks never get a chance to learn from their mistakes, to get redemption. I had the opportunity to learn from my errors, come back better and show the UFC that I deserve to be here.”

A former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder and 2020 graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series, Motta will lock horns with Maheshate Hayisaer as part of the UFC Macau undercard this Saturday at Galaxy Arena in China. The two men have combined for 15 finishes in the 24 victories between them.

“The matchmaker knows what he’s doing,” Motta said. “This fight has everything in place for us to put on a show. It’s good matchmaking. Our styles match up very well for this to be a true spectacle.”

Hayisaer owns a 2-2 record across his four UFC appearances. The 24-year-old last saw action at UFC on ESPN 55, where he eked out a split decision over “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” Season 1 semifinalist Gabriel Benitez. It followed back-to-back losses to Rafa Garcia and Viacheslav Borshchev. Hayisaer figures to have the crowd in his corner—a situation to which Motta has grown accustomed.

“After moving to the United States eight years ago, I always had to fight in my opponent’s backyard,” he said. “I was never the favorite. It all made me stronger. It made me stronger to be the underdog in my opponent’s backyard.”

Motta enters the cage on the heels of a 63-second technical knockout of Tom Nolan at UFC Fight Night 234 in January. Win or lose, he adheres to a simple but poignant mantra.

“I always look to live one day at a time and to give my best,” Motta said. “Make the days count. Don’t count the days.”