Alex Munoz may be drawing a stern test in his UFC debut, but he’s confident he can capitalize on the opportunity.
Munoz (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Nasrat Haqparast (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Munoz notched a win over Nick Newell at Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2018, but it was his win over Troy Lamson at “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” that finally secured him the UFC contract.
His first UFC assignment sees him draw the highly-touted Haqparast right off the bat, but Munoz is confident in his preparation, having sparred with high-quality training partners on a daily basis at Team Alpha Male.
“I was excited about this matchup,” Munoz told MMA Junkie. “I thought it was an awesome opportunity for me. Obviously, he’s a great striker, but I think I am, too. I train with great strikers everyday. I’m in the gym with Josh Emmett, Andre Fili, Eddie Abasolo, Gaston Bolanos. I mean, the list goes on and on, and I’m not afraid to strike with anybody. On a random Tuesday, I’m fighting with the best strikers in the world, so to step in against somebody who’s a great striker, that’s nothing new.
“I’m down to strike with him wherever the fight goes. I think he has holes in his game, and we’re going to expose him, and I think this is a great first fight to really make my mark in the UFC.”
Munoz was initially scheduled to make his UFC debut against Luis Pena in February before a back injury forced him out of the matchup. Now he is eager to make his first walk to the octagon and show off the improvements in his game.
“I think you guys are going to see a complete fighter,” Munoz said. “I think you’re going to be able to see somebody who can mix the striking with the wrestling, with the jiu-jitsu – just all aspects of the game. The time that I have spent off, I’ve spent rounding out my game and making sure I don’t have holes anywhere. I’m strong wherever the fight takes me.”
To hear more from Munoz, check out the video above.
