It’s “kill or be killed” for Pat Pytlik
Jan 6, 2024
TORONTO – All of Pat Pytlik’s eight victories in the cage have come by knockout or technical knockout. The hard-hitting Canadian welterweight contender says that’s not a coincidence.
“That’s just the way that I like to fight,” Pytlik says with a laugh.
“I train my wrestling and jiu-jitsu religiously, but I always want to win by knockout or TKO … I don’t enjoy hurting people. I’m not a (expletive) sociopath or anything, but I take fighting extremely seriously.
“Either I kill him or he kills me, and that’s just the way that I’m built.”
The 34-year-old Kitchener, ON product will be swinging for the fences once again at Unified 55. At the highly anticipated event on Jan. 19 at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, he takes on top American prospect Ryan Leininger (10-4), LIVE on UFC Fight Pass.
As always, Pytlik is hunting for a highlight-reel finish.
“This guy is pretty tough, right? I’m going to try to knock him out, obviously, but some guys are too tough for their own good,” he says.
“I can see this fight actually going the distance, but I’m going to be going for it the entire time.”
Pytlik is a fighter who’s been on the UFC’s radar for quite a while. An unfortunate injury kept him out of the cage for three years, but he’s making up for lost time now. It’s possible that another big KO at Unified 55 will propel him to the UFC’s Octagon, or give him a shot to compete for a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas.
Not so fast, he says.
“I’m not looking past my opponent,” Pytlik says. “I did that once before and it was a big mistake. I’m a little older now and a little wiser, so let’s just take this fight and we’ll see what happens.”
ABOUT UNIFIED MMA
Unified MMA is Canada’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, showcasing the country’s top-ranked fighters, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass. The organization has successfully promoted 54 events across Canada since it was founded in 2009, and has propelled several athletes to the UFC’s Octagon.
