R. Vieira is a Brazilian promise for the UFC middleweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Brazilian representative in UFC Las Vegas 31, which takes place this Saturday (17), Rudolph Vieira is ready for his second fight of the year. After losing the first in his career, the athlete faces Dustin Stoltzfus over the weekend and seeks to recover within the organization. Prepared, the athlete spoke exclusively to SUPER FIGHTS about the setback suffered in February, analyzed his next rival and commented on the future in MMA.
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Considered one of Brazil's promising middleweights (up to 83,9kg), Vieira will perform on the main card of the show. The confrontation will mark his new appearance as a professional in mixed martial arts.
Analysis of the first defeat
In February 2021, anthony hernandez shocked the world by submitting Vieira, one of the biggest names in the history of jiu-jitsu. In the confrontation, Rodolfo, who started well, ended up getting tired and allowed his opponent to turn around. Months later, the Brazilian spoke about the setback and confirmed that he had found the crucial error.
“I could have trained more, but I trained a lot. It was very good. I got more tired due to my anxiety about wanting to finish the fight quickly. At one point, I was very careless, that I set up and gave up on the katagatame. I tried three times and he (Hernandez) saved it. At that time, I was very inexperienced. I was supposed to stop, rest, breathe. (…) He gave the 'upa' (movement to get out of mount), and I went to the 'arm lock'. There, it was the beginning of the end. The business fell apart. (…) I managed to 'scrape' it, getting it 'stuck' to the railing and wearing it out a lot. I started thinking: 'I'm tired'. (…) When I let go, he punched me, then my next fall was out of time and, then, that's what you saw. Anxiety and carelessness I had in that fight”, narrated Vieira.
Was losing important? Athlete explains
The loss to Anthony marked Rodolfo's first negative result as a professional in MMA. The Brazilian's 'stumble', however, is not seen as something 100% bad. For the middleweight, the slip-up can be understood as an opportunity to overcome mistakes and evolve in the new modality.
“I try to accept everything that happens in my life in the best way possible. I know that everything has a reason, we just need to understand and accept it. Just winning is easy, very enjoyable. Life isn't made of that. You have to go through difficult times to test yourself, your will, your character and know who you are and where you want to go. This happened to me, I didn't think it would happen so soon, but today I see that it was the best thing that happened to me. If that hadn't happened, I doubt I would be where I am today. Having made the changes I made, having the dedication I had during the time I trained. When you are winning, it is difficult to see where you can improve”, said Rodolfo.
fear to fight
A professional in the sport since 2017, Vieira has a characteristic that differs from many other martial arts representatives. The Brazilian makes no secret of the fact that he feels insecure about all his commitments, including jiu-jitsu. The middleweight then spoke about how he has managed the situation as it evolves in MMA.
“I was talking about this with my psychologist and he was saying that it wasn't 'fear' that I had. What I had was anxiety, and it really was. Because I didn't want to be there, I wanted to end it quickly, since my first fight. Sometimes I think that, with this feeling of 'not wanting to be there', I think I've gone too far in my career (laughs). (…) It’s difficult to want to be there. I'm a very dedicated guy, I work hard. I live for this. (…) But I got there and didn’t feel that comfort. I was like: 'damn, when am I going to learn to enjoy it here?'. I got to the fight and I said: 'the sooner I finish this guy, the better it will be for me'. There's no way you can be in a job if you don't want to be there. So, I did some cool work with my psychologist and, every day, I've been putting it in my head to learn to be there, because I don't want to stop. (…) Another reason I continued is knowing my potential. Knowing that I can go far and become very good in this sport”, he revealed.
Fight on Saturday
Willing to win again in the sport, this weekend, Vieira will face an opponent looking for the first positive result in Ultimate. The athlete then analyzed the opponent, pointing out the qualities of Dustin Stoltzfus.
“He's a dangerous guy, he shoots well, changes things a little. I'm going to continue playing my game, but one thing I'm going to change is to be more calm. Don't expect me to finish the fight in the first round. My strategy is to fight calmly, calmly. It's the most important thing for me. I'm convinced that if I fight like this, it's unlikely I'll lose this fight,” he said.
Place in the top 15
In Ultimate since August 2019, Rodolfo is cautious when it comes to 'climbing' to the elite of the category led by Israel adesanya. With his feet on the ground, the Brazilian claims he is in no rush to reach the top 15, but has set a deadline to get there.
“After my (last) fight, there's no way I can go back and talk about top 15, top 10. It's not possible. I have to have my feet on the ground. I believe that with another year and a half I will be ready. My debut in MMA was in 2017. It's been four years since I had my first fight. So, I have a lot of things to improve. I'm very new to the sport. I didn't have the opportunity to do many fights in the UFC. Here in the United States they do a lot of amateur fighting. (…) Then, you arrive at the professional already 'hard-core', with a lot of experience. I went straight to the pros, had five fights and, when I blinked, I was already in the UFC. I know I got there because of the career I achieved with jiu-jitsu, I can't complain. What I can do is continue dedicating myself, training, to evolve and increase my level as quickly as possible, because I don't have much time”, he admitted.
No pressure
Calm about his situation in MMA, Rodolfo guarantees that he does not feel pressure to impress in the sport. According to the Brazilian, the important thing about his immersion in the sport is proving to himself his capacity in the 'new universe'.
“I will never fight to show anything to anyone. I go in there to fight for myself, to overcome this 'fear', to challenge myself. It's not to show anything, to try to erase my last fight. (…) I want to do my best, that’s the most important thing”, said the Tupiniquim.
Optimal outcome
For the weekend, Vieira makes no secret of the fact that his desire is to win. The athlete, however, revealed that the 'dream outcome' would be a triumph on the fast track. The combatant, however, ensures that he is ready to act for three full rounds, if necessary.
“The best way (to win) is always to submit, using my jiu-jitsu, the best I have. I'm trying to visualize myself winning or knocking out, submission or decision. That's my goal: to win this fight. I am well prepared to win in any area”, he concluded.
Athletes' history
At 31 years old, Rudolph Vieira will seek his eighth victory as a professional in mixed martial arts. A jiu-jitsu legend, the fighter has six submissions in seven victories.
In search of his first positive result in Ultimate, Stoltzfus is heading towards his 15th commitment in the sport. Today, the North American has 13 wins and two losses.
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