Johnny Munoz Jr. knew he had to beat Liudvik Sholinian at UFC Vegas 64 to keep his job.

Munoz Jr. was fighting out his contract and was 1-2 in the UFC so he knew he had to beat the Ukrainian fighter. He ultimately did just that as he scored a dominant decision win, which he’s happy about.

“I am happy with my performance but I do think there are things I can do better. I always want to get the finish, but going three rounds was good for me,” Munoz Jr. said to BJPENN.com. “I’ve done three rounds before but with my mindset, I enjoyed it and Liudvik made it a tough fight and made me be focused for all 15 minutes.”

Although Munoz Jr. was fighting out his contract, he said he wasn’t thinking about it. Instead, he says he just wanted to prove how good he can be, which is something he hasn’t done yet in the UFC.

“I wasn’t thinking about it, honestly. I knew I had to win. But, the thing I was thinking about the most is just being me and showing how good I am,” Munoz Jr. “It was important to show that. That was reassurance for me to go out there and fight that good.”

Munoz Jr. Eyes Return In Early 2023

With Johnny Munoz Jr. getting his hand raised, he said his management has already been in contact with the UFC about getting a new deal.

“It’s looking good. My manager had been in contact with the UFC and it’s more just renegotiating a new deal,” Munoz Jr. said. “I always knew I’d be there. But, I know I have to keep working hard and start stacking up these wins and going on a run toward the top.”

Once Munoz Jr. gets a new deal, the plan is to fight in early 2023 to set him up for an active year.

“Early next year would be good, February or March. I know they are already booking that far out. So hopefully I can get on one of those cards,” Munoz Jr. concluded.

Who would you like to see Johnny Munoz Jr. fight next?