Athletes
John Castaneda Wants To Make His Mom Proud
A Special Guest Will Be In Attendance At Madison Square Garden As John Castaneda Looks To Deliver His Best Performance To Date At UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira
It’s the usual start to a conversation with John Castaneda. Has his mother continued to press for her baby boy to hang up the gloves and find a way to make a living that doesn’t include left hooks and guillotine chokes?
“You know what?” said Castaneda. “She's fully embraced it.”
Order UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira
Wow. That’s a switch, but not a surprising one, considering that her son has won three of his last four fights, including a June bout against Muin Gafurov, proving that he belongs at the elite level of the sport in the UFC. And if you need further proof of commitment from Castaneda’s mom, she will be in attendance on Saturday when he walks to the Octagon for the sixth time to meet Kyung Ho Kang in an under the radar matchup that has the potential to steal the show at Madison Square Garden.
“He’s a gritty, durable veteran,” said Castaneda of Kang, who has won five of his last six and two straight heading into this weekend’s bout. “You’ve got to look at him as a tough, seasoned opponent, and he's a dangerous guy, but I also think that Father Time plays a role in this. He's 36 now, and I'm excited to push that youth pace on him. I know that he's in really good shape and he always comes with good conditioning, but I think that it's different when you're fighting only once a year, and he’s had a lot of time off.”
Preview Every Fight On UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira
Kang, who submitted Cristian Quinonez in June, is fighting twice in a calendar year for the first time since 2019, and while Castaneda hasn’t exactly been Donald Cerrone in terms of activity, he is also fighting for the second time in 2023 after two trips to the Octagon last year, and at 31, he does have less wear and tear on him than his opponent. And the way “Sexi Mexi” feels, he believes he’s on the verge of a breakthrough performance. More importantly, he’s taking the time to enjoy every part of being in the hardest game.
“I am very much enjoying the process,” he said. “I love my little week-to-week wins, my week-to-week battles that I have within myself, and the wins that I have, I can tell my boxing's getting better, I can tell my wrestling's getting better, I can tell my jiu jitsu is absolutely getting better. Those are little wins that I have within myself, I absolutely love those, and I'm ready to put on a show November 11th to get another big sense of accomplishment.”
And after fighting his first fight on Fight Island during the COVID-19 pandemic and his last four bouts at the APEX in Las Vegas, he’ll have a packed house at MSG ready to cheer him on.
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“I’ve never really gotten to fight in a big venue on the biggest stage in the world,” said Castaneda, a pro since 2012. “So, in my mind, I was like, all right, I'm due for it for sure, but maybe I’ve got to prove myself to be on a big pay-per-view card or whatever it might be. So, I knew it was going to come eventually, and I'm ready to perform in front of thousands of people.”
John Castaneda Submits Johns In The 3rd | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland
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John Castaneda Submits Johns In The 3rd | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland
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Of course, the most important will be mom.
“She's been to a lot of local fights, but ever since I've been in the UFC, she hasn't been to a lot of fights,” he said. “And also, before the UFC, I fought for this promotion, Combate Americas, and they were doing a lot of fights outside the country. And she wouldn't come to those fights either, but it wasn't because she didn't want to, it was more so because I found it a little nerve wracking having my parents there. But I think I've gotten over it and I'm ready to show my mom my line of work.”
UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira took place live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 11, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
