Stepping into the octagon for the first time on the main card alongside the headline bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is a dream come true for any fighter.
When asked if he aspired to follow in Conor McGregor’s footsteps, who started with nothing and rose to the top of MMA, Kris Moutinho clarified, “I wasn’t destitute. I had a job where I was putting in 80-hour work weeks, and in early June, I made the decision to walk away from it.”
That turned out to be a pivotal moment as he went head-to-head with O’Malley for a full three rounds until referee Herb Dean intervened to halt the bout.
After the fight, UFC President Dana White recognized Moutinho’s efforts by awarding him a $75k bonus for his outstanding performance in the “fight of the night.”
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When quizzed about his former occupation, Moutinho disclosed, “I was working at a paint factory. I was in charge of the production line, filling paint cans. The pay was decent. However, it wasn’t my passion. My life goal is to engage in something I love, regardless of the salary.”
He emphasized, “The only time I’ve been truly content is when I’m fighting or training.”
Moutinho, a 28-year-old hailing from Milford, Massachusetts, made his professional debut in CES MMA against Matthew Maldonado in September 2016 at CES MMA 38.
