No Time Like the Present for Vinicius Salvador

Vinicius Salvador found out firsthand just how unforgiving life at the top can be.

The 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series graduate fell short of the mark in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, as he wound up on the wrong side of a three-round unanimous decision against former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Victor Altamirano at UFC on ESPN 43 in March. It was a sobering dose of reality for Salvador, who suffered his first defeat in almost four years.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find him,” he told Sherdog.com. “He has an awkward and unpredictable game. I couldn’t find the opportunities to knock him out, and I made several mistakes. We were closely matched. I still feel that I should have been awarded the win, but it went to the judges. I learned from my mistakes in the fight and in training camp.”

The setback brought about a significant change for Salvador, who relocated to the United States to continue his development at an American Top Team affiliate and the Aniciete Training Club in Las Vegas.

“I moved to the U.S. to improve my ground game because that was very much lacking in my last bout,” he said. “That can’t happen in the UFC. I can’t be lacking in any area.”

Salvador will return to the stage to face C.J. Vergara as part of the UFC 291 undercard on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the ice upon which he skates having grown thinner. Vergara owns a 2-2 record across four appearances in the UFC and finds himself on the upswing following a second-round technical knockout of Daniel da Silva four months ago.

“Vergara is going to be a great opponent,” Salvador said. “We both come from a striking background. I see holes in his game. He’s weak in the ground department, but he does have a great gas tank. I predict I’ll knock him out. I will not let it go the judges. In the UFC, you have to win, and you have to win pretty.

“I know I’ll be a much-improved fighter compared to last time around,” he added. “If my opponent tries to take me down, he’ll find I’m someone completely different now. Instead, I’ll be the one taking him down, just like I did to Altamirano; and on the feet, I’ll dominate even more.”

Like every other fighter, Salvador has long-term goals. However, he has adopted a tunnel-vision approach ahead of his clash with Vergara.

“I’m not thinking too far into the future,” he said. “I have to focus on who’s right in front of me. That’s the mistake I made against Altamirano, and I ended up losing. I want to win well against Vergara. I expect it’s going to be the biggest card of the year. We’re going to have an amazing fight. Then I’ll think about the future.”