Brazilian promise in Ultimate, Raulian paiva He didn't have an easy life, but he overcame difficulties to win his debut in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2kg) in the UFC Las Vegas 32. Victorious in the clash against Kyler Phillips last weekend, the Brazilian spoke exclusively to SUPER LUTAS YouTube channel and opened up about the new moment in his career. The Amapá native also challenged a Brazilian for his streak in the category.
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substitute for Raphael Assunção, injured, in the confrontation against Phillips, Raulian accepted the challenge of moving up a division and testing himself in one of the most competitive divisions in the company. To overcome his rival, Paiva showed a lot of heart and survived a struggle in the first round, when he was almost knocked out.
'Blackout' in the 1st round
Even with another positive result on his record, Raulian was close to a setback against Kyler at the weekend. Faced with a promise in the category, the Brazilian was close to being knocked out and, talking about the episode, admitted that he did not remember what happened in the first stage of the confrontation.
“To tell you the truth, only after I went to see that I had taken a knockdown. When I fell, there was a moment when I looked at my corners (coaches) and they were looking at me with sad faces. Then I saw Phillips hitting me. I said: 'Hey, the fight has started!'. For me, the fight hadn't even started. From there, I clung to him and I don't remember anything anymore. (…) I remember when the first round ended, I didn't even want to sit on the stool. (…) From the second round onwards, I entered the fight and started to play my game. The 'war' began,” said Raulian.
Would a draw be fair?
For one of the judges, the struggle in the first round gave Kyler a 10-8, in favor of the North American. Thus, with two rounds for Raulian in a row, the duel, according to Sal D'Amato, ended in a draw, different from what the other two evaluators thought, who saw victory for the Tupiniquim. The Amapá native then highlighted his position on his triumph in the majority decision.
“In my view as a fighter, it could only be 10-8 if the fighter didn't react and the other was punching all the time. As I watched the fight afterwards, I saw that I started the round well and, despite taking the knockdown, I was reacting. So it couldn't be 10-8. (…) Even though I wasn't 'there', I was reacting (laughs)”, said Paiva.
New reality in roosters
Phillips executioner in UFC Las Vegas 32, Raulian made his debut in the bantamweight squad and entered the organization's spotlight for the category led by aljamain sterling. Excited about the result, the Brazilian spoke about the new moment in his career, after years of playing for the flyweights (up to 56,7kg).
“I felt really good. I really felt like myself. Strong, I reached my legal weight, I recovered well and with much more strength. I noticed, when I touched the Phillips, how 'stiff' my hand felt. The week of the fight, I was much more willing to lose weight and train. The recovery was very good, I was happy and, above all, I felt healthier. In flyweight, I lost a lot of weight and didn't gain it back”, said the native of Amapá, who, at the moment, has no plans to return to his old category.
Victory with a different flavor
After being cut from a commitment on the eve of his fight against David Dvorak, Paiva has plenty of reasons to smile. In May, the Brazilian had problems in the weight-cutting process, suffering five fainting spells and being hospitalized. Months later, the decision to move up a category was rewarded with a great victory. Realizing the feat, the Amapá native reported the sensations of triumph.
“A lot of people had doubts: Raulian comes from a lower category. You're going to get a ranked guy, he doesn't deserve it'. (…) I showed that I came 12th in the flyweights for nothing. It was a lot of work. Now, I'm showing why I moved up a category and why I deserve to stay. (…) I beat a guy who was good, who was in the rankings. Now, it’s my turn to grow in the organization and the category,” he confirmed.
Brazilian in sight
Within a group filled with great Brazilian representatives, Raulian sees in a compatriot the chance to climb even further in the division. Substitute for Raphael Assunção, it is in the fighter himself that Paiva sees a great opportunity for his next challenge.
“If they want to close me and Assunção, that’s fine. I even saw him on Twitter saying he was ready. Afterwards, he made a fuss about it saying it wasn't interesting. If they do this fight, I'll show him on the day if it was interesting. If they score, I'll beat him to the punch and he'll see. Will he want to devalue the guy? If the UFC gives me this fight, the better for me. He's a guy who's higher in the rankings than me. Whether I’m ranked or not, I want to fight,” he concluded.
Athlete's history
At 25 years old, Raulian completed his 24th fight as a professional in MMA. Today, the fighter has 21 victories and three negative results in his career.
For Ultimate, the Brazilian now has five commitments. After losing in his first two appearances, the athlete recovered and achieved his third consecutive victory.
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