Turns out Matt Mitrione was right, Philip De Fries didn't want to stand and trade with him.
That explains why the British heavyweight was in such a hurry to get their fight to the floor, shooting twice on "Meathead" during their UFC on FUEL TV 9 contest last Saturday (April 6, 2013) at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Whoever said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," never got tagged by one of Mitrione's meaty mitts. De Fries was put down in just 19 seconds after his second failed takedown attempt, giving the former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 contestant his first win since June of 2011.
An "elated" Mitrione talked to UFC Tonight:
"I was out for 14 months, and I'm coming off of two losses in a row, so it was a really emotional victory. Everything about it was really emotional. I was so elated. It was just a beautiful feeling. Whoever the UFC thinks is a fair and appropriate match-up for me, that's who I'm looking for."
Mitrione avoids a pink slip ... for now.
The former NFL defensive lineman was teetering on the edge of unemployment and by his own admission, knew it was time to "shit or get off the pot" in the wake of back-to-back losses to Cheick Kongo and Roy Nelson. Now that he's been victorious, he lives to fight another day.
But against who? Let's hear some of the "fair and appropriate" match ups you had in mind.
For more on Mitrione's win at UFC on FUEL TV 9 as well as full results, videos, recaps, highlights and more from "Mousasi vs. Latifi," check out our live story stream by clicking here.
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