Sam Patterson says his fight IQ was always going to be too high for Kiefer Crosbie at UFC 304
MANCHESTER, England – Sam Patterson beat Kiefer Crosbie with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 304 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Take a look inside the fight with Patterson, who has back-to-back first-round submission wins – both of which were passed up for post-fight bonuses.
Sam Patterson def. Kiefer Crosbie
Result: Sam Patterson def. Kiefer Crosbie via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:50
Updated records: Patterson (12-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Crosbie (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Patterson has 11 of his 12 wins by stoppage, including seven by submission.
Patterson on the fight’s key moment
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Sam Patterson (L) of England trade punches with Kiefer Crosbie of Ireland in their welterweight bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
“I thought my fight IQ was too high for him. Don’t get me wrong – everyone in the UFC is dangerous, and it only takes one punch to change everything. So I took him just as serious as any of my opponents. I just thought my fight IQ would be too much for him. I was just going to go in there and do what I do – keep my hands up and chin down and wait for the opportunity to present itself.”
Patterson on his bonus potential (he didn’t get one)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Sam Patterson of England celebrates his victory against Kiefer Crosbie of Ireland in their welterweight bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
“It’s amazing. To win is everything. To be honest, I wanted to go out there and get a knockout when they put $100K on the line (for bonuses) – I can’t lie. I wanted to get the knockout because you’re probably more likely to get the bonus. I was told there was two performance bonuses, and if that weren’t Performance of the Night – I barely barely got touched.”
Patterson on what he wants next
Sam Patterson def. Kiefer Crosbie, UFC 304 (via UFC)
“I definitely want more. I want three fights this year. A dream of mine is to fight in Vegas again. I fought in Vegas on the Contender Series. It’d be nice to go back there and do it in the UFC officially. This is my third pay-per-view now, so put me on the pay-per-view at the end of the year. Let me open the card. That would be absolutely amazing.
“To be honest, I haven’t looked at anyone in the welterweight division. I’m so focused on myself and I truly believe I’m earning my stripes. I’m not in the position to be calling people out. I think you start doing it in your top 15 or trying to break into the top 15. I’m early into my career and I’m just getting my foot in the door trying to prove myself. I think I’m on the way to do that. So one more fight this year and we’ll see where we’re at.”
To hear more from Patterson, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.