M. Pezão is one of the Brazilian highlights in the UFC Las Vegas 9. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Coming off a great victory in its presentation, Marcos Foot is ready for your next Ultimate challenge. This Saturday (5), the heavyweight (up to 120,2kg) faces Alexander Romanov in the UFC Las Vegas 9 and wants to confirm the good phase in his career. In an exclusive interview with SUPER FIGHTS, the São Paulo native analyzed the confrontation against the Moldovan and plans to continue his trajectory towards the top of the division.
UPDATE: Pezão tests positive for Covid-19 and is out of the fight
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Arriving for his second appearance in 2020, Pezão will face off against an opponent who is making his debut in the organization and has never lost in his career. The Brazilian, however, says he is ready to deal the Moldovan's first setback in MMA.
Preparation for the fight
As everyone knows, the pandemic period ended up influencing not only the events promoted, but also the fighters' preparation for the challenges. Marcos then explained what the training process was like for his first appearance without an audience in the UFC.
“It was very difficult to keep training, but I have a lot of friends and I managed to keep training in some gyms. When training in São Paulo was difficult, I went to Paraná to train with my friend, Delcélio Rodrigues – four-time kickboxing world champion -, so I went there to go back to my roots a little and improve my best part, which is the exchange. Soon after, I managed to return to the United States. It was difficult, but I managed to overcome all of this and train well, even with the reduced number of athletes in the American Top Team (ATT)”, he explained.
Romanov analysis
This weekend, Marcos was chosen to 'welcome' the undefeated Alexander Romanov, who has 11 consecutive victories in his career. The Moldovan's impressive number does not intimidate the Brazilian, who claims to have studied his rival's characteristics.
“He’s a wrestling guy, a strong guy. He doesn't have good jiu-jitsu. They even questioned me about this, saying that he has six submissions in his career, but his submissions are because he tires his opponents. I see that I will be able to impose my game well on him. For me, the fight is on the feet, but I'm an MMA fighter, a black belt in jiu-jitsu, I have good submissions. I think it's a big struggle for me. That's it: he's never faced a tough guy like me and I've faced tougher guys than him”, said the São Paulo native.
Next step in the UFC
If he triumphs over Romanov, Pezão will reach his second consecutive victory in the UFC, something that hasn't happened since 2014. Knowing that a great performance can propel him into the division's elite, the fighter evaluated the next step in the organization.
“We always see some athletes that we can fight against. After my last fight (in February), the following week, the Marcin tybura He asked to fight me, I tried to change the fight, but it didn't happen. He's going to fight Ben Rothwell now. So whoever wins this fight would be a good opponent for me,” he said.
Millimetrically perfect finish
Protagonist of a fight that promises excitement, Marcos was asked how he would imagine his dream ending in the confrontation against Alexander. The Brazilian then joked about the situation, but still aimed for a historic result in his career.
“The perfect scenario is a knockout at 4:49 of the third round. Perfect (laughs). You can fight for two (performance) bonuses”, concluded the heavyweight.
At 35 years old, this weekend Pezão will reach the mark of 25 appearances as a professional in MMA. In total, the São Paulo native has 17 wins, six defeats and one clash.
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