Brazilian MMA fans were able to watch the victory of one of the promising heavyweights (up to 120,2kg) last Saturday (16). At the UFC Overeem vs. Harris, Rodrigo 'Zé Hive' gave a gala performance, beating Dan'Tale Mayes in the first fight of the night and maintained his unbeaten record in his career. In conversation with journalist Laerte Viana, exclusively for SUPER LUTAS, the Minas Gerais native spoke about the confrontation and outlined plans for the future in the organization.
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“We trained a lot to win the fight in different ways, whether it was decision-making, striking or jiu-jitsu. We trained to fight in any area and, when I saw that he (Dan'Tale) started to walk backwards, when he wasn't confident in exchanging with me, I became much more confident. He thought I would respect him,” said Rodrigo.
After beating his rival last weekend without much fear, 'Zé Hive' not thinking about vacation. The fighter, who currently lives in the ATT (American Top Team) accommodation, stated that he intends to return to the octagon as soon as possible and made himself available to the organization for his next commitment.
“I want to take a 'little week' to rest and, certainly, if there is a fight at the end of next month (June), I will be prepared and I will accept it”, said the Brazilian.
With success in his first official fight in Ultimate, the athlete, who was discovered on 'Dana White's Contender Series', reinforced his desire to face a specific opponent in his next fight and adopted his feet on the ground to talk about his journey towards the elite of the UFC. category.
“One guy I want to fight is Chase sherman. He's a guy who's had four wins in a row, a tough guy, but I'm sure that, by playing the right game, we'll be able to beat him, but my number one plan is to get into the top 15”, he said.Zé Hive'.
Thinking about improving your qualities to reach the top of the category, which today has Stipe Miocic As champion, the Brazilian understands that he needs to reinforce some attributes to face the fighters who currently play in the group's elite on an equal footing. The Minas Gerais native then gave clues about the work that will be intensified in training for the future.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, I need to improve my wrestling even more to be able to put the best I have into play, which is jiu-jitsu. I will continue training in physical preparation to get stronger. The heavyweight division has a lot of guys who are very strong. I believe that when you start to reach the top 15, it starts to get more difficult. Top 10, then, don't even talk about it. I know there are big names up front, but always step by step. I have a path to follow, so there is no point arriving now and wanting to face the top 10. There has to be a path beforehand and I will have time to prepare to get there”, he concluded.
Last Saturday, Rodrigo, 27 years old, reached the mark of eight appearances in his MMA career. The fighter awaits his next commitment to confirm himself as one of the great Brazilian names for the future in the division.
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