Fernando Padilla Feels Incredibly Proud to Represent Mexico at Noche UFC

Fernando Padilla is one of the Mexican warriors who will line up to represent their country at the upcoming "Noche UFC."

In his second Octagon assignment, Padilla (15-4, 1-0 UFC) will take on Kyle Nelson at UFC Fight Night 227 on Sept. 16. The event is also known as Noche UFC as it will celebrate Mexican Independence Day, featuring a sort of Mexican team scheduled to take on fighters from the rest of the world. While speaking with Sherdog, Padilla confirmed his readiness for his second UFC fight and highlighted his dedication and constant training since his Octagon debut, a first-round technical knockout win over Julian Erosa at UFC on ESPN 45. The Team Oyama standout also expressed his pride in representing Mexico in the UFC, stressing that it’s an honor to have the entire country's support.

“I feel proud. I feel really, really proud that I got to a point that now I can represent my entire country, right? On the biggest stage in this sport, the UFC. It's incredible. I'm not just representing my family or my team, I'm always doing that, but now you have the entire country on your back. I think Mexicans, we're really good supporters. I feel all the love of all the people over there, even though they're so far away from me. Man, mi gente, [they're] people of love, Mexicans are people of love. I'm really excited, man. I'm really excited to have this fight because of that, too. All the people is gonna be there.”

(00:00) Intro
(00:29) Preparing for Nelson
(01:15) His first UFC victory
(01:59) Defeating Rosa
(03:25) Celebrating his win
(04:09) His first UFC fight week
(06:07) The biggest takeaway from his Octagon debut
(07:04) Representing Mexico
(08:25) Opening the main card
(08:59) Commenting on Nelson’s fighting style
(10:01) Predicting Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko
(10:42) The level of Mexican MMA
(13:07) Seeing himself competing for the UFC title within three years
(13:21) Outro