Adrian Yanez knows he's hitting a wall heading into UFC Fight Night 241.
Yanez (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will take on Vinicius Salvador at bantamweight on May 18th at UFC Apex. Both fighters will be looking to snap two-fight losing streaks, with Salvador seeking his first win inside the Octagon.
The 30-year-old, once considered one of the UFC's most promising prospects, admitted he was surprised to draw former flyweight Salvador (14-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and said he had to win. A situation where you know you are in a situation.
“I don’t want to worry about anything because I’m in a do-or-die situation right now in my head,” Yanez told Bloody Elbow.
Yanez's losses were due to stops of ranked contenders Rob Font and Jonathan Martinez. Losing Martinez was an even harder pill to swallow.
“That second kick (Martinez), the first kick landed and I heard a thud and immediately my whole leg jumped up,” Yanez said. “I felt a huge jolt in my leg. I felt a warm liquid. For a moment it felt like my leg was bleeding. …I had to have surgery after that game, so I didn't have time to sit and soak it up. It was much harder to get through that second match because there was so much going on. It also gave me a change of perspective on a lot of things.
“I felt comfortable in the position I was in. I also had a ranking next to my name, which gave me peace of mind. I thought, 'Oh, I'm fighting the best.' I'm here, so close. ” I eased off the accelerator. I started letting other people control what I was doing at camp, but I wasn't really in full control. I was in the best shape I've ever been in that font battle. I thought I felt good mentally against Martinez, but when I walked out to the cage, the remnants of the loss beforehand were still there. As I started walking, it was still ringing in the back of my head. ”
Yanez recently spent time training with rising featherweight Diego Lopez (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who defeated Sodiq Yousaf by first-round TKO at UFC 300.
“I was excited,” Yanez said of training with Lopez. “Oh, being around like-minded people like them who want to get better and always want to train, it lights a fire in my butt and reignites my love for the game.”
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with mixed martial arts fans.