MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Cristian Quinonez[/autotag] has a rebound on his mind, and what better place to do it than in front of a friendly crowd?
Eight months ago, Quinonez had a five-fight winning streak snapped when Kyung Ho Kang tapped him with a rear-naked choke. It was a reality check for the Mexican fighter, who got his first look at the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series.
Quinonez (18-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) said the loss made him take a closer look at things, and he hopes the adjustments have him ready for another tough bantamweight test when he takes on Raoni Barcelos (17-75 MMA, 6-4 UFC) on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 237 (ESPN+) at Mexico City Arena.
“When you’re a fighter and you lose, it’s hard to (look) back. But I’m doing my best and I’m really happy because I really think a loss is the way you learn the most. Of course I’m ready. It was a good moment to change my fighting style a little.”
Quinonez said his older brother Jose “El Teco” was instrumental in helping him prepare, as well. Jose fought on “TUF: Latin America 1” and went on to a 5-4 record in the UFC.
“It’s always an advantage to have a brother who is a fighter,” Quinonez said. “We can change the little things we want to change in each fight. I’m really proud of my brother. I’m learning a lot from him. I know I’m going to make him proud Saturday.”
Check out Quinonez’s full media day interview in the video above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.