Brady Hiestand has warning for UFC bantamweights once he hits his stride: 'Everyone's screwed'
LAS VEGAS – Brady Hiestand beat Garrett Armfield with a third-round submission Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN 58 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Hiestand, who returned after 14 months away and picked up his first UFC post-fight bonus award.
Result: Brady Hiestand def. Garrett Armfield via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:52
Updated records: Hiestand (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Armfield (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stats: Hiestand landed six takedowns.
Hiestand on the fight’s key moment
“The fact that he got out of that choke in the first round – I’ve been subbing people with that. I got my fingers caught in the glove, unfortunately, and so I wasn’t able to get the angle that I usually get. So good on him for defending that, but I’m going to get someone with that one day.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 15: (L-R) Brady Hiestand punches Garrett Armfield in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Hiestand on becoming dominant
“I want to go out there and have dominant performances and, having a back-and-forth battle is fun. It’s good for the fans – not good for my wellbeing. I just want to have dominant performances. I want to showcase that I am the top of the top, which I know I am. That was, me and my coach will say, probably like a B- of my skills. As soon as I figure out how to do an A+ in the cage, everyone’s screwed.”
Hiestand on what he wants next
“I’m all gas. No brakes. I want to fight two more times this year. I called for Abu Dhabi (on) Aug. 3. That’s what I want. I want to fight then, and then that leaves room for one more fight. So three fights, 2024. I’ve had a 14-month layoff and I was telling them I was so pissed because ever since I was 16, I fought two times a year, and since I’ve been in the UFC, I’ve had two year(long) layoffs.
“I’m done wasting time being out on the sidelines. I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to make money. And I’m ready to make a legacy. … I see my career taking off. I want to be in the top 15 by the end of 2024 and then climbing for that title in 2025. Let’s go, baby.”
To hear more from Hiestand, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.