KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Zak Cummings knew Nathan Coy was asleep well before referee Mike England decided to intervene, but he never once thought of letting go of the hold.

It’s nothing personal, Cummings insisted. In fact, it’s a part of the sport he doesn’t like. But Cummings has been fighting for almost a decade, and he’s learned his lesson.

“I knew he was out, but I don’t stop until the ref stops me,” Cummings said following his UFC on FOX 24 win. “It’s a tough thing because I’ve had fights where they’ve tapped, I let go, and the ref didn’t see it. It’s happened to me personally.

“It’s one of those where I knew he was out, but some guys play those little games where they’ll start breathing weird, or they’ll do stuff, and you’ll loosen up, and they wake up real fast. Really, I don’t stop until the ref stops me.”

Cummings (21-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Coy (15-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) met on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed prelims of Saturday’s event at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Additional prelims, as well as the main card, aired on FOX.

The two battled on the feet to open the early preliminary-card bout, but Coy eventually pushed the fight to the mat in the opening frame. That proved to be his undoing.

“I was kind of surprised that he stood with me as long as he did; I thought he was going to wrestle pretty quick,” Cummings said. “Him sitting in the pocket and throwing a couple of jabs out caught me off guard. I knew once I hit him, he’d probably change his mind, but he didn’t. Props to him.

“When he took the shot, I was ready for it, and I did what I do best and put guys away.”

Cummings latched on a guillotine and squeezed, and he quickly choked out his opponent. But Cummings said he had no choice but to hold the choke until England realized Coy was out.

“He was out quite a while, I think, before they stopped it,” Cummings said. “I knew I had it immediately, but I was just happy to get it before the bell rang.

“I hate it. It scares me. But I don’t stop. You can’t do it.”

With the win, Cummings is now 4-1 in his past five UFC appearances and an impressive 6-2 in the octagon overall. Still, at 32, Cummings knows he’s still a relative unknown to most MMA fans, and he said it’s time for that to change.

“This is my eighth fight in the UFC, but half of the people don’t know who I am,” Cummings said. “I feel like people always say, ‘Oh, he’s this country boy that can take a hard shot. He’s pretty strong. He’s big.’ It’s always, ‘He’s tough. He can grind.’ It’s not, ‘He’s a talented fighter. He’s very well-rounded.’

“I’m a black belt in jiu-jitsu. I have good striking. I was a collegiate wrestler. I’ve got all the tools. I really do. I feel like I’m not your typical, model-looking, six-pack fighter. I don’t get the respect I deserve. I really don’t.

“I just kind of want to get some more respect. I’ve been here. I’ve loved the company. I’ll do anything for them. Start building me. I deserve it.”

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