Alexander Munoz unfazed by first career loss: 'I'm just focused on the next win I'm going to get'

LAS VEGAS – Victory is always the goal for any fighter, but that’s especially true in a UFC debut. But as Alexander Munoz can attest, the disappointment that might come along with a defeat can’t become a central focus.

“It didn’t go exactly how I planned, but I didn’t dwell on it too much, you know?” Munoz told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “It’s just moving forward from there and keeping a short memory when it comes to the things that don’t go as planned, and looking forward to the future.”

Munoz made his first trip to the octagon this past August and ended up on the wrong end of a decision against fellow prospect Nasrat Haqparast. However, the Team Alpha Male fighter said the loss didn’t come with quite the weight some might expect.

After all, as funny as it may sound, the previously undefeated fighter has plenty of experience with loss.

“I mean, I probably had a thousand wrestling matches,” Munoz said. “I’ve been doing sports since I was a little kid. I’ve been losing my whole life. It’s nothing new. It’s part of growing. It’s part of becoming the next version of yourself and building.

“It’s just part of this. That’s all it is, and I don’t focus on it. I’m just focused on the next win I’m going to get.”

Munoz (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) gets that opportunity at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event, where he takes on fellow lightweight Luis Pena (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex. The contest airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Munoz said he’s been focusing on improving in the eight months since the loss, but insists that would have been the case regardless of his previous result.

“Man, I spent a lot more time focusing on the things that we did right, not so much on the things that – obviously there’s always room to improve, there’s always things that we can fix,” Munoz said. “We go back to the drawing board, you know? We tighten some things up, but whether I won that fight or not, that’s stuff I would have been doing anyways.

“The win or loss on the record doesn’t really change how we move forward after the fight. No matter what, we’re going to try to improve and try to do better and try to be a better version of what we can do.”

Of course, despite his positivity in defeat, Munoz still expects results in the cage. Oddsmakers have him pegged as a slight underdog in the matchup, but Munoz isn’t concerned with that. His focus isn’t on proving doubters wrong but rather his supporters right.

“I really don’t focus too much on the people who doubt me,” Munoz said. “I don’t really try to prove people wrong as much as I’m trying to prove people right, you know? The ones that do care about me and the ones that have been pushing for me since day one. My really, really close family and friends, those are the people that I’m focused on and making them proud.”

To hear the full interview with Munoz, check out the video above.