UFC Fight Night 109's Nordine Taleb not satisfied with display over 'brave little kid' Oliver Enkamp

STOCKHOLM – Nordine Taleb relied on patience and experience to outwork UFC newcomer Oliver Enkamp en route to a solid win at UFC Fight Night 109.

But, in spite of getting the nod on all three scorecards, the welterweight is not entirely satisfied with his display. Initially scheduled to face the “stronger, stiffer” Emil Meek on Sunday, Taleb (13-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) had less than two weeks to adjust to Enkamp’s (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) much different style.

He clearly wasn’t thrilled with the change of plans.

“He was kind of not easy to fight,” Taleb said after the FS1-televised main-card scrap at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. “It’s because he was kind of a sloppy, awkward, and long, flexible guy. It’s really not easy to manage against a guy like that.

“And he was making his debut against a very tough opponent, I would say. He wanted to do the most of it, I think. I’m not satisfied, but it’s a W.”

Taleb was thankful to Sweden’s own Enkamp for salvaging a scrap that, according to him, others turned down. And he acknowledges that, in a “50-50 situation,” the UFC newcomer didn’t really have time to get the proper training partners either.

If anything, he applauds Enkamp for overcoming possible issues with “pain, cardio and fears” and hanging tough for three rounds when more experienced fighters failed to do so.

“I’m really surprised he managed that well,” Taleb said.

But, at the end of the day, it was a high-risk-low-reward scenario that came with taking on a 25-year-old unknown on Sunday.

“I did this fight to save the night in Stockholm, to give a good show for the fans,” Taleb said. “Because I was going nowhere fighting Enkamp. Nothing against the guy. He’s a brave little kid, but I was going nowhere fighting this guy.

“But, at this point of the training camp, I invested in myself. I moved to Thailand. I had a lot of spendings. I moved down my coaches and stuff. I had to fight and have the paycheck to – I’m moving on. I know I didn’t move on the rankings, but I want to move up.”

Now officially recovered from a decision loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio in February, Taleb wants this “moving up” to mean facing a top-15 170-pounder next. Hopefully, the type that allows him to show his best self.

“Opponents make the fight,” Taleb said. “So I didn’t have what I really needed to show against Enkamp. He’s not the guy who’s gonna make me look bright, look the best. Win or lose, I don’t care, but makes the best out of me coming that night at the fight.

“I hope for a good fighter (with) technical, strong, well-rounded guys who I could be very scared to lose, or something. Or one punch, he can knock me down.”

To hear more from Taleb, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 109, check out the UFC Eventssection of the site.