The protagonism of UFC Las Vegas 13 was Glover Teixeira e Thiago MarretaHowever, another Brazilian stole the show at last weekend's event. Entitled to one of the US$50 bonuses, Raoni barcelos He had a gala performance against Khaid Taha and cemented his name as one of the great Brazilian promises in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2kg). In an exclusive interview with the YouTube channel do SUPER FIGHTS, the Rio native spoke about the good moment and gave clues about the future in the organization.
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Undefeated since his debut in the company, Raoni accepted the duel against Taha with less than two weeks to go before the presentation. However, the Brazilian showed that he is above other names in the group and ready to face elite athletes in the division.
Performance against Khalid
Although Barcelos' performance caught the eyes of many Brazilian fans, the fighter showed his feet on the ground, stating that there is much room for improvement. Critical of his presentations, although he was happy with the result, the Rio native is already thinking about what needs to be changed for the next commitments.
“I'm very critical of myself. The fight was very interesting for everyone, but for me, I need to improve some things. I'm very annoying about this. I think the lack of Pedro (Rizzo) and my father (Laerte Barcelos) in my corner was a very important detail. If they were, I would finish the fight. I missed them because they are a safe haven for me. When they are in the corner, I feel safer. It was the first time it was happening to me and I confess that I felt it, but the fight ended up happening that way. I had the opportunity to knockout or submit, but, unfortunately, it didn't come. We have to be prepared for 15 minutes of fighting. (…) You could see that I tried until the end and left exhausted, both me and my opponent, who is a very tough guy. It was a beautiful fight,” said Raoni.
Message for the rooster elite
When promoting the Brazilian's clash against Khalid, Ultimate's president, Dana White, even stated that Barcelos is a name that will certainly bring good results to the category. After a great performance, the Rio native, in fact, proved that he is at another level in the division and sent a message to future rivals.
“I came to create a hurricane in the category. It was my debut on a main card (UFC Las Vegas 13), had never fought. There were a lot of athletes who didn't know me, they didn't know who I was. Here in America, only the main card is shown on television. (…) I showed that I'm there, that I can be 'neck meat' and to be careful. If you fight me, they won't catch just anyone. They’re going to get Raoni, who can make a fuss”, said the Brazilian.
Category Analysis
Willing to evolve more and more to reach the highest point of the group that, today, is led by Petr yan, Barcelos knows that the path will not be easy. After all, the athlete is included in a category with big names in the company who are willing to do anything to make their dream of the belt come true. Thus, Barcelos gave his opinion on what he thinks of the division.
“It is the category that is busiest, with the most names from the world MMA scene, such as José Aldo, Frankie Edgar, TJ Dillashaw, Colby (Garbrandt), Dominick Cruz and I need to face these guys. Everyone who made a name for themselves in the category. There are a lot of people we can face. Let's fight. The only people who win are the public,” he said.
Next appointment
After the great victory over Khalid Taha, last weekend, Raoni, in an interview after the confrontation, avoided suggesting a name for his next challenge. Almost a week later, the Brazilian still doesn't have a clear name, but he remains firm in the idea of exchanging forces against a top-ranked opponent.
“There are some athletes who are in the top 12, 11, 10. (cody stmann) if it is well ranked, it can be. Until December, I want to fight again. I'm fine, I wasn't injured. Now, it’s time to go back to Brazil, review what needs to be reviewed and come back with everything”, said Rio.
At 33 years old, Barcelos debuted in MMA in 2012. The athlete took on Ultimate gloves as a company professional in July 2018. Since then, he has had five fights, without knowing the taste of defeat. In total, the Rio native has 17 appearances, with 16 triumphs and one setback.
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