You don’t fight the way Kris Moutinho fights if you don’t enjoy it. There are plenty of other ways to make a living, but when you’re someone who likes to get into a person’s face, stay there, and take a punch to give three more the other way, you must really love it. That’s what keeps someone committed through the hard times.
Moutinho’s journey is well-documented at this point. He accepted a short-notice opportunity against Sean O’Malley in 2021, losing but fighting the future champion valiantly. A second knockout loss got him cut from the roster, but Moutinho rebounded with five consecutive finishes on the regional scene.