Athletes
Pat Sabatini | Oozing Confidence, Aiming for the Top 15
Standout Featherweight Talks Mental Adjustments, Recent Success Ahead Of UFC 328
In March 2024, Pat Sabatini was a handful of months removed from a stoppage loss to Diego Lopes and a few weeks clear of a minor knee procedure to clean up a torn meniscus. He had been largely successful inside the Octagon, the recent loss to Lopes notwithstanding, but he hadn’t enjoyed any part of the experience, so he reached out to Micah Schnurstein with the Sports Psychology Team at the UFC Performance Institute for some assistance.
This weekend, Sabatini heads into the Octagon against William Gomis as part of the stacked UFC 328 fight card at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. He’s riding a three-fight winning streak, unbeaten since working to address the mental hurdles he was contending with and buzzing after beating Chepe Mariscal.
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“I feel like it’s had an impact on my whole life in general,” Sabatini said. “I got to use the life-skills that (Schnurstein) showed me with my everyday life before I got to use it in the Octagon because I was just coming off (a minor knee procedure) and that was just went I started working with him… I used to just take everything so seriously and live in that fight way beyond those 15 minutes. What it did was destroyed a lot of love I had for the sport, and I was so not present in a lot of my fights. Now, it’s way more enjoyable, I’m way more efficient in preparation, way more present, way more enjoying the moment; way less nerves and way less care.”
If you go back and watch Sabatini’s earliest fights in the UFC and contrast them with his most recent efforts, you can see the difference.
While he’s still a man of few words, the 35-year-old Marquez MMA representative just looks less tense as he makes the walk to the Octagon. In interviews, he’s quicker to laugh, a little more detailed and expressive with his answers, and there is a renewed sense of enjoyment that radiates off him that wasn’t present when he first started working his way forward in the talent-rich featherweight division.
“I’ve always had the discipline, but I feel like this is the real superpower is being able to harness that presence, use the mind the way it’s meant to be used, and them just go in there and shine; simple as that,” he said. “Your mind doesn’t come with a manual, so learning how to use it properly has paid dividends… I feel like I’m oozing with confidence and it’s only the tip of the iceberg; it’s only going to keep getting better with time.”
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That self-belief has always been there, but Sabatini is clearly more comfortable expressing it aloud these days. While winning always makes it easier to speak your mind and stake your case, the Philadelphia native and former two-time CFFC champ has been clearer about his impression of where he fits within the division and his aspirations going forward, even if those wishes haven’t always been granted.
Following his win over Mariscal, Sabatini spoke both in the Octagon and at his post-fight media availability about wanting to face someone in the rankings. He’s made no bones about his belief that he’s the best grappler in the division and is ready to prove that, and while Saturday’s pairing with Gomis doesn’t align him opposite a ranked opponent, it is another opportunity to face an ultra-tough and underrated featherweight.
“I think he’s a very smart fighter, very rangy, with very good kicks; I think he’s a good all-around opponent,” he said of Gomis, who enters with a 5-1 mark under the UFC banner. “I think the matchmakers did a great job with this one.”
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Sabatini believes this matchup is the sort that highlights the depth at 145 pounds. Ideally, it’s the kind of fight that sheds light on how much he and Gomis have had thus far in their respective careers.
“I think there are a lot of people outside of the Top 15 that are tougher than some of the guys in the Top 10, but as you know, styles make fights,” he said. “I think this is one of those things where it’s two different styles going at it, and there can only be one winner.”
So how does he ensure that he comes out victorious on Saturday?
“I surrender the outcome and go in there concentrating just on performing, but obviously with performing, the goal is getting a finish,” he said with a laugh. “I’m looking for whatever finish presents itself first.”
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Should that come to pass, Sabatini would love to make a relatively quick turnaround and land a spot on this summer’s return to Philadelphia, but more than anything, he just wants to keep pushing forward, doing whatever is asked of him until he reaches that next goal of garnering a number next to his name.
“I just want to be a company man — whatever they want me to do, I’m gonna do,” he said. “I’m gonna stay ready, keep climbing that ladder, and get into that Top 15 one step at a time.”
UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2026. 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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