Chris Gutierrez ‘grinding day in and day out’ at Factory X ahead of UFC Vegas 39
UFC bantamweight Chris Gutierrez is one of the most overlooked fighters on the roster, having gone 4-1-1 since joining the promotion. “El Guapo” believes he’ll have the edge in every aspect when he steps in the octagon at UFC Vegas 39.
In this interview with Gutierrez, he sheds light on the daily grind at Factory X, his upcoming matchup with Felipe Corales, and what gives him an extra confidence boost heading into each fight.
The 30-year-old fighter took his talents to Colorado in the summer of 2017 in order to begin training at the renowned Factory X. Gutierrez has realized immense success since making that move, training alongside top-level athletes and learning under the tutelage of coach Marc Montoya. The daily grind remains the same as he prepares for his seventh fight in the UFC.
Chris Gutierrez Interview
“It’s been going really good man,” said Gutierrez, who is wrapping up another training camp. “You know, day in and day out, just gotta keep the grind going. I’m fortunate to train and learn from some of the best in the world.”
#thepromisewillbekept #mydreamsaregreaterthanmyfears #neverlosehope #inspireandmotivate #elguapomma https://t.co/kaEIpJHmsY
— Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (@CGutierrezMMA) September 30, 2021
Gutierrez has one of the most impressive resumes outside of the UFC that you will ever see. The Texas-born fighter holds pre-UFC victories over the likes of Aaron Phillips, Timur Valiev, Jimmy Flick, and Ray Rodriguez. Moreover, his only pro-MMA defeats came against Valiev, Jerrod Sanders, and Raoni Barcelos. Knowing who he’s beaten and who he’s shared the octagon with gives Gutierrez extra confidence heading into each bout.
“Of course man that always helps as far as digging deep and believing in yourself,” he replied, “Being like damn can I do this? Am I good enough? Like yeah, look at everyone you’ve fought. Look at everyone you’ve beaten. It definitely gives me some extra confidence.”
Since joining the UFC in Nov. of 2018, “El Guapo” has tallied a very impressive record. Since losing his debut to Barcelos, Gutierrez has gone unbeaten — holding wins over Ryan MacDonald, Geraldo de Freitas, Vince Morales, and Andre Ewell. The only other time he didn’t get his hand raised came in a draw with Cody Durden. Respectively, Gutierrez isn’t looking ahead as far as rankings are concerned. Instead, his entire focus is on his upcoming fight at UFC Vegas 39.
“I don’t know,” he said regarding whether or not he’ll be knocking on the door of the top-15 with a win. “That’s something I gotta go back with my coaches and management team to talk about. My focus is on doing my job on Oct. 9.”
Matchup With Corales
“I think I’ll have the edge everywhere,” Gutierrez confirmed, “I think he’s a really good opponent and a really good fighter himself, but I believe in my skillsets. I’m sure he believes in his too so we’ll go in there and see who can implement what. Of course, I expect to finish him, but we’ll see. I’m gonna try my hardest, but at the end of the day if it happens to go to the judge’s hands I gotta make sure I do my part to really make an impression.”
VICTORY IS RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO PAY ITS PRICE!!!!!!!
UFC Vegas 39 💢 October 9th
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. @ Las Vegas, Nevada https://t.co/aSpT8enTke— Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (@CGutierrezMMA) September 1, 2021
Chris Gutierrez is a man who demands a lot from himself, but he has the physical and mental makeup to exceed even his lofty expectations. A quote via Gutierrez from a past interview with Thomas Gerbasi sufficiently summarizes his championship mindset:
“I’m like a buffalo,” he said. “If you’ve ever seen a buffalo when there’s a storm coming, they run through the storm. Everything else runs away.”
Make sure to watch on Oct. 9 at UFC Vegas 39 as “El Guapo” makes his second octagon appearance of 2021. If you enjoyed this interview with Chris Gutierrez, make sure to check back for more exclusive conversations with the world’s greatest mixed martial artists.
