Kris Moutinho plans to prove he’s ‘not just a punching bag’ in second UFC fight: ‘I don’t want to be known as the guy who just takes ass whoopings’

Kris Moutinho is planning to prove he is not just a punching bag in his second UFC fight.

Moutinho stepped up on short notice against Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 and lost by third-round TKO. It was a total beatdown as O’Malley landed 230 significant strikes including 177 of those to the head. Although he was praised for his toughness, it still was a tough fight for Moutinho.

Now, however, Kris Moutinho will return to the Octagon on October 23 against  Aaron Phillips. He does admit he is returning sooner than he wanted, but he says he plans to show that he isn’t just a punching bag.

“I didn’t plan on coming back so quick,” Moutinho told MMA Junkie. “I planned on maybe the end of the year, maybe next year, but you can’t really say no in these situations. It’s a good fight. It’s a tough kid. They’ve given me two months to prepare. I didn’t have many injuries. My toe was a little banged up, and everything else was pretty good.

“I healed up pretty quick, and I’ve been training non-stop, so there’s really no reason for me to say no,” Moutinho continued. “If I start saying no now, who knows what they give me next time? I’m just ready to go out there, have a good camp and show everybody that I know how to move my head. I’m not just a punching bag.”

Although he was praised for his toughness, Moutinho doesn’t want to be known for that. Instead, he says he wants to be known for his skills and not being the guy that takes ass whoopings.

“I gotta win fights first,” Moutinho said. “That’s the most important part. Get these wins and show everybody I’m worth more than just what they saw the last fight. I’m glad everybody enjoyed the last fight, everybody loved it, but it still hurts me. I can’t even watch it anymore. I watched it a couple of times, and it was too much. I don’t want to be known as the guy who just takes ass whoopings. I’m a fighter. I’ve been fighting for a very long time. I put on shows, and y’all are gonna see it.”

Do you think Kris Moutinho will beat Aaron Phillips?