The fighting pride of Indonesia, Jeka Saragih is ready to return to the Octagon at UFC 316, and he’s excited to show his improved skill set on his return to action.
Saragih has been working hard at his home away from home in San Diego, California, as part of the MMA Fight Academy team headed by coaches Marc Fiore and Jake Buracker.
The team features a host of up-and-coming talents whose skills are constantly being sharpened and refined under the tutelage of the two experienced coaches, and Saragih is feeling the benefits of his time on the West Coast.
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“For the past 12 months, I’ve been training really hard, trying to make the things that I'm not good at, better,” he told UFC.com.
The last time I fought, I took a loss, and I learned a lot from that fight. So I think for this fight, I'm gonna be ready.”

That loss came against Westin Wilson at the UFC APEX in June 2024. Wilson, a noted submission specialist, added Saragih’s name to his list of victims via first-round triangle armbar in the opening two minutes of their featherweight bout.
The result, and the manner of his defeat, may have been frustrating for Saragih, but he has taken the loss in stride and spent countless hours grinding on the mats looking to close up the holes in his game.
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As a natural striker with nine knockouts to his name, Saragih admitted that his wrestling and submission defense needed improvement, and that has been a major theme during his year away from the Octagon.
As you guys know, I'm not really good at the ground fighting, so for the past 12 months, I’ve been really focusing on improving my ground game,” he said.
“I know learning ground fighting is kinda new for me, and kinda hard! During training camp, I got taken down so many times and got submitted so many times! But I learned new techniques from my coaches and from my sparring partners, and I think during this fight, if my opponents try to take me down or try to submit me, I know how to defend, and I'm confident about it.”
Saragih has immense faith in the support system he has around him at the MMA Fight Academy, and said that he is sure to improve for as long as he’s benefitting from being around his coaches and teammates. All he has to do is keep showing up and putting in the work.
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“I believe in my coach, my training partners, and all of the guys in the gym,” he stated.
I believe that if I go back and train there, I'm gonna keep getting better, and one day I'm gonna make it.

“I spend more time in San Diego right now because I go to the gym there, and all of the guys at the gym aren’t just fighters and coaches, they’re like a family to me. I'm happy to keep coming back to the gym every day, day-in, day-out and keep grinding with them, because I know I have a family here.”
Saragih’s next UFC test will see him welcome undefeated South Korean knockout artist JooSang Yoo to the UFC. The 8-0 prospect, who recently featured in Dana White’s Lookin’ For A Fight, earned his spot with an impressive first-round knockout victory for ZFN, the South Korean fight promotion headed up by “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
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Saragih knows he’s in for a tough test on Saturday night in Newark, but he said he’ll arrive on fight night armed with better preparation, from a better team.
“I believe if a fighter gets signed with the UFC, that fighter must be good and have some specific skills,” he said.

That's why UFC signed him, and it's the same for me. I believe that UFC signed me because I'm a good fighter too.
“And I don't care who he's trained with in Korea, with ‘The Korean Zombie’ or whoever else. I don't care, because I believe I have a better coach, I have better training partners, and on Saturday, I'm going to show who's better.
UFC 316 FREE FIGHTS: Pena vs Nunes | Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomdeov | Harrison vs Holm | O'Malley vs Sterling
“I'm ready to win the fight in the standup. But if my opponent tries to take me down, I’m ready to defend it. And if it goes to the ground, I'm ready to defend it, too. At the end of the fight, we're gonna know who’s better.”
Victory for Saragih would not only put him back in the win column, it will also reward his team for their backing, and his legion of Indonesian fans for their support from afar.

Saragih knows that he represents a nation, as well as his team, every time he steps into the Octagon, but the 30-year-old accepts that responsibility with pride.
“I carry the weight of my country’s name and my gym’s name on my shoulders,” he said.
“I know it's hard, but I try to treat it as my extra motivation every day, so I can train with more discipline, and train harder. I'm not just fighting for my name – I want to be a good example to the other Indonesian fighters.”
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!