R. Paiva weighing in for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @rauliianpaivamma
Brazilian representative on the main card of UFC Las Vegas 27, Raulian paiva wants to continue his journey towards the top of the flyweight division (up to 56,7kg.). Opponent of David Dvorak This Saturday (22), the Amapá native guarantees that he has recovered from knee surgery and promises a great performance at the weekend. In an exclusive chat with SUPER FIGHTS, the fighter spoke about the commitment.
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If he wins at UFC Vegas 27, Raulian will take an important step in the group led by Deiveson Figueiredo. A positive result confirms the Brazilian's good form and extends the undefeated series to three positive results.
Knee surgery
At the end of 2020, Raulian ended up being surprised by an injury that took him out of his training routine for around three months. Recovered, the fighter explained the moment and assured that he was in his best shape.
“In my camp (training period) that I was doing to fight in October, I went to defend a takedown and ended up injuring my knee, the ACL (anterior ligament). It was so simple that I didn't even want to believe it, I only believed it after I saw the surgery. My recovery was successful. After just three months of surgery, I came back and, almost five months later, I no longer felt anything. Not discomfort, pain. I'm 'zeroed', feeling even more confident. It doesn't even look like I had surgery. It’s perfect,” he said.
Frequency in MMA
Interrupting the frequency of fights is something atypical in Paiva's career. At just 25 years old, the Brazilian has a solid record. With 23 commitments in professional MMA, the fighter spoke about his love for the sport and the need to continue competing.
“I always liked fighting. I always find a way to have at least three fights a year. There was a year when I made five presentations. I started early, at 17 years old. Whenever they offered it to me, I accepted. I just want to do my job, the same thing in the UFC. If Ultimate offers me five fights in a year, I'll be prepared. They just need to want it”, said the Amapá native.
Fight against Dvorak
This weekend, Raulian will have a direct fight for positions in the flyweight division. The athlete will share the octagon with the dangerous David Dvorak and, although he shows respect towards his rival, he believes that his opponent will not be able to surprise him in the UFC Las Vegas 27.
“He's a good fighter, I won't deny it, but I don't see much risk for me. I'm going to fight with him, as he likes. I'm going to take advantage of my height, but if I see that it's not working, I'll take it to the ground. Few people know that I have a black belt in jiu-jitsu, especially because I recently got it (the belt). I know how to handle myself well underneath. Maybe, in this fight, I can show my jiu-jitsu to the public, the fans and the organization, because I haven't had the opportunity to show it yet”, he said.
Next step
With his eye on the top of the division led by Deiveson, Paiva knows that a great performance on Saturday could lead him to a major commitment later on. Looking for the best opponents, the Brazilian does not hide his desire to face the best ranked.
“If I win the fight, I'm thinking about a top 7 or top 5 in the category. That's my thinking, but it will also depend on the UFC. It also depends a lot on my performance. Therefore, I want to win the fight well and, little by little, gain my place in the category”, said the athlete.
End of the confrontation
Ready for 'war' against Dvorak, Paiva does not hide his expectation for a positive result. As far as Amapá's team depends, the victory will come hard and will not take 15 minutes of confrontation.
“I feel like I'm going to knock him out, I don't think it's going to get past the second round. If I don’t knock him out, if he doesn’t feel my hand, I’ll take jiu-jitsu and submit,” he concluded.
Athletes' history
Professional in MMA since 2013, Raulian is heading towards his 24th challenge in the sport. Today, the Brazilian has 20 wins and three defeats, occupying 12th place in the flyweight rankings.
At 28 years old, Dvorak is going for his 23rd fight in the sport. The Czech, 11th in the group, has 19 positive results and three negative results.
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