Former Bellator welterweight Dante Schiro had one of the biggest moments of his career in June when he stopped multi-time PFL champ Ray Cooper III in the featured bout of Tuff-N-Uff 145, but it was overshadowed by a viral moment courtesy of Sean Strickland.
Schiro is now 3-0 since leaving Bellator, and is knocking on the door of a UFC opportunity. Typically, stopping a guy like Cooper would be the highlight of a non-UFC event, but during Luis Hernandezs submission win over Miles Hunsinger, Hernandez talked some trash towards Strickland and Chris Curtis, who were cornering Hunsinger. After Hernandez secured the tap, he crotch chopped towards the two UFC fighters, which led to Strickland and Curtis jumping in the cage, and Strickland throwing punches.
Two fights later, Schiros big moment happened, and it certainly didnt get the buzz it could have.
I think so, but I guess you never know, Schiro told MMA Fighting. Its just one of those things where, thats the kind of where the sport is now, too. Its big on entertainment as it as. It should be. Its on TV, people want to see like exciting things happen and sometimes the things that arent really fighting [outshine] actual scale and merit, but thats where were at. They probably over shined it a little bit.
Because there was like three great matchups after, and they were all good fights. Exciting things happened after that, and even still, its, What happened during that fight? Every interview that Ive had, people have had to ask about it, and its like, I get that it was a crazy moment, but yeah, I guess it does kind of take away [from it] a little bit.
Schiro was preparing in the back for his pivotal matchup with a former world champion like he has for years. Focus, preparation, and last-minute thoughts on how the matchup should proceed were at the forefront of his mind.
Then, the viral moment happened. Schiro recalls when he realized things got crazy out on the arena floor.
Pretty much right away, Schiro said. We heard... it was like different kind of screaming. It wasnt like fight cheers and whatever, and Im in the back warming up, and at the time I didnt really give a shit.
Theyre like, Oh, Strickland just jumped in the cage, and I was like, Oh really, thats crazy, and then kind of just went along with the warm up and tried to focus on everything. I did peek around the corner a little bit just to see if like more things were happening, but yeah, I was in fight mode then. So it was kind of just like, Whatever, well move on as long as things dont get delayed. Thats what happened when I went to fight Neiman Gracie. They had us rolling. Were going, walking out, [and] theyre like, If you can get down there in two minutes, were going to get this fight going.
We got down there, as soon as we get down to walk out, theyre like, We ran out of time. You guys got to go after the televised portion, and Im sitting there waiting two and a half hours to get ready again and Im like, Youve got to be kidding me, dude. This stuff is crazy.
Prior to his victory over Cooper, Schiro submitted ex-UFC fighter AJ Fletcher at LFA 195 this past October.
The 31-year-old says hes already on the UFCs radar, and theyve been telling him to stay ready for an opportunity. In fact, Schiro will be in Las Vegas this weekend, and hopes to get some extra face time with the promotions decision makers.
Im ready, Schiro said. Whatever it is, Contender series, short notice, Ultimate Fighter would have made a cool opportunity, but that obviously is passed and whatnot, but yeah, whatever the way is in is the way you got to go because theres so many guys in in the position that Im in that are waiting for that call, so its kind of just being at the right place at the right time and having the right connections.
So, well see, next m going out with Neil [Magny], to help corner him for his fight [at UFC Vegas 108]. So its another opportunity to get in there and just even gain more experience with him and being in his corner and helping him for his fight. So, just looking forward to like all these opportunities that keep coming my way.
