Luis Pena will be taking on Matt Wiman this Saturday at UFC Greenville, and he is already struggling with his opponent. After all, how do you prepare for someone who hasn’t competed for years and whom you believed to be retired:
“I’m not gonna lie,” Pena told MMA Junkie. “They said Matt Wiman – I thought that guy was retired. He hasn’t fought since the fight with Isaac Vallie-Flagg, and then he tried to come back in 2015. He pulled out with a back injury. I was a little surprised, but at the same time, it’s just another name on the contract.
“With this matchup, we don’t really know where to go. You look at his early fights, he likes to take guys to the ground and beat them up. You look at his later fights, he likes to stand up and beat them up. It’s kind of like a catch-22. What are we going to get? I’m just kind of preparing for the best Matt Wiman I’m going to see.”
Pena’s uncertainty of what to expect stems from the fact that Matt Wiman has not competed since 2014. As for Pena, he will be making his return to 155 after failing to make weight in his last bout at featherweight against Steven Peterson in March. Pena is currently 1-1 in the UFC at 155, and regardless of what the returning Matt Wiman brings to the table on fight night, Pena has high expectations for himself and for the fight itself:
“This is the biggest candidate for ‘Fight of the Night,’ just looking at the card right now,” Pena said. “We’re both guys who like to come forward and like to fight. We like to throw hands. I feel like both of our styles match up well for the fans.”
Who do you think will be victorious at UFC Greenville? Luis Pena or Steven Peterson?
