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Ode’ Osbourne | A New Chapter Is Just Beginning
Flyweight Ode’ Osbourne Feels He’s Reaching His Prime Ahead Of His UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy Bout Against Luis Gurule
Fighters will often agree that you learn far more from your losses than your wins.
For UFC flyweight Ode’ Osbourne, three straight defeats have provided valuable lessons in maturity, which he believes have taken his game to a whole new level.
“I feel like each fight comes with a new lesson where, for example, sometimes you fight with your ego and you lose and you understand the saying ‘humble in victory, humble in defeat,’” Osbourne said. “It humbles you a bit. When I’m winning, I don’t learn anything, my ego is huge. Losing prepares me again because I was so not ready or immature. I think I needed to get those losses under my belt in order to be the fighter that I am today.”
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The 33-year-old has spent the last five years in the UFC, with 10 of his 21 professional fights taking place inside the Octagon. Despite getting his hand raised on only four occasions in the UFC, Osbourne feels the experience he’s gained is crucial as he enters a new chapter in his career.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Osbourne said. “Not just any rollercoaster, a rollercoaster that’s on fire, going through a pit of fire. It’s been up, down, left, right, but it’s been amazing because I got to grow up in the UFC. Not many fighters get to say they grew up in the UFC. You see fighters that fight three times and get released so I’m so fortunate that people have gotten to see the evolution of Ode’ Osbourne.”
Early in his career, Osbourne felt the biggest key in fighting was just getting time in the Octagon,regardless of the outcome of the fights, and learning to handle the emotions of competing in front of large crowds in arenas around the world.
Now, with 10 UFC fights under his belt, he feels more comfortable than ever heading into his next challenge: a featured prelim tilt against UFC newcomer Luis Gurule at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy.
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“A lot of fighters don’t get the opportunity to get the time under the lights,” Osbourne said. “I think with six or seven fights you start to get comfortable under the lights. I’m so comfortable now and I think I just needed time. You lose once and it tears you apart. You lose twice, it tears you apart. You lose three times, and it gets better. It’s weird to say, but you almost feel comfortable with the pressure of losing and the expectation isn’t as big. Eventually you realize [critics] don’t matter. This is fun. 12-year-old me in Jamaica would’ve been so thrilled to be able to say that I’m a UFC fighter.”
This Saturday, Osbourne collides with undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series grad Gurule, who punched his ticket to the UFC following a win over Nick Piccininni in October.
Osbourne, who’s faced the likes of Manel Kape, Asu Almabayev, Ronaldo Rodriguez and Charles Johnson, doesn’t see much of a threat standing in his way of getting back in the win column on April 5.
“My opponent does one thing very well,” Osbourne said. “He moves his head very well. Other than that, he does everything else very average. He throws in volume, but his kicks are kind of wack, he doesn’t really shoot a takedown, he doesn’t really wrestle that much, which he might in this fight because everyone starts to wrestle once I put the hands on ‘em. He’s a lot slower than I am. The one good thing I will say is he has good cardio. I’m hoping to push that gas tank and see what he’s got.”
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A win on Saturday is essential for Osbourne, not only to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat but also to put on an impressive performance that reaffirms his place in the UFC flyweight division. With experience against multiple ranked opponents, a victory could set him up for another shot at a Top 15 contender.
“I’m always looking for the finish and that’s why I have 11 fights in the UFC,” Osbourne said. “I’m always trying to finish my opponent.
“I feel that I’m a lot better than people believe. I feel like I’m almost the dark horse of the division. I think you saw in the [Rodriguez] fight that I became a new fighter, and I’ve just upgraded since then. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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