NEW ORLEANS – Ateba Gautier has been fighting for a long time, but not always professionally.

The Cameroonian powerhouse needed just 70 seconds to take out Robert Valentin in Saturday’s UFC 318 prelims at Smoothie King Center. Gautier (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has now finished his past seven opponents in a row, six of them in the first round.

Just 23, Gautier says he garnered experience from fighting in the streets – something his mother heavily disapproved of.

“I always used to fight, but not like proper fight,” Gautier told reporters during his post-fight news conference. “I don’t have much experience like competition fights. But I always used to fight in the street in my country. Even when I was in (university), I used to fight in uni. So, for me, it was normal. I wanted to fight, but my mom, ‘Oh no, you can’t fight if you don’t get a degree in university.’

“That’s why I went to uni. I did physics just to make her (think) OK, like I’m smart. I’m not stupid, but fighting is not for stupid people. I’m smart, but I want to fight. I just enjoy the feelings, adrenaline, how you feel. Always you feel like you’re in danger. I like this feeling.”

Gautier is happy to prove that he can also be a threat on the ground but doesn’t think it’s necessary to show off that part of his game.

“My camp was focused on wrestling a lot,” Gautier said. “We did a lot of striking and a lot of wrestling. Too much, but I can’t show my wrestling level, my grappling level in a few minutes. It will take time. If someone wants, OK, we’re going to go. But if you don’t get there, what’s the point?”

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Street fighter too: UFC 318 winner opens up on past experience

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