'His mother or mine will cry', says Blindado, who promises war against the TUF champion on Saturday

B. Blindado is a promising Brazilian in the UFC middleweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

If it's aggression you're looking for, Bruno Blindado it's the right name. Famous for his knockout power, the Brazilian is ready for another show in the octagon. Opponent of Andrew Sanchez No. UFC Las Vegas 40, which takes place this Saturday (16), the middleweight (up to 83,9kg) makes no secret of the fact that he is looking for a real war this weekend. Before the duel, the athlete spoke exclusively to SUPER FIGHTS about the challenge.

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Promise in the division led by Israel adesanya, Bruno will make his second fight in Ultimate. In June of this season, the Paraíba native gave his calling card by defeating his compatriot Wellington Turman with a devastating knockout.

Feeling of representing Ultimate

After a show on his debut, Blindado doesn't deny that 'the penny hasn't dropped yet'. Fighting in the main MMA organization in the world, the athlete talks about the feeling of living in a new moment.

“If I could choose, the debut wouldn’t be better than it was. Sometimes, I confess, it makes me shake. When I remember my whole story, everything, we are grateful. We deserve to be here, at the biggest event in the world. When I see my photo – UFC athlete – I say: holy shit. It's like it's the first time (laughs). I’m f***, I’m in the UFC”, he narrated.

Honor: face to face with TUF champion

For your second appointment, nothing easy. To remain undefeated in the company, Blindado will need to go through Andrew Sanchez, champion of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) 23. Aware of the great challenge, the fighter talks about the opportunity to face the North American.

“A year ago, he was fighting and I thought, man, he’s a possible opponent. He didn't give anything else. When my manager sent the name, I saw that words have power (laughs). It came when I wanted it. I wanted to face a more ranked guy, who is already rotated within the UFC so I could move up. If you fight a good guy and lose, you lost to a good guy. When you fight against a 'Nobody', you have to win. The more scared I am, the more dangerous I become,” he said.

'His mother will cry, or mine'

Scheduled to close the preliminary card of UFC Vegas, Bruno is part of a confrontation in which the two protagonists have aggressiveness as their main characteristic. Therefore, the fighter reveals how he imagines the dispute happening.

“I imagine two guys beating each other up. He's not going to become a wrestler in two months, just like I'm not going to be a jiu-jitsu fighter in two months. It will come to hand. My intention is to hit him anywhere. If I fall from below, I'll hit, from above, standing up. His mother will cry or mine. Just wait for a war. For my part, there will be no points”, he said.

'I don't like strategy'

After making it clear what his proposal is for the fight against Andrew, the Brazilian jokes about an unusual situation. The fighter confesses that he is not a fan of following strategies inside the octagon.

“I was never good at strategy. Of course, I was never rushed. Calm and aggressive. I'm calm during the fight. I just need a moment to get out of a bad position. If I go out, I will hit (the opponent). I don't really like strategy, my coach knows that. The fight is flowing. Sometimes we prepare for one thing and the guy comes with something else in mind. So I don’t focus too much on the guy, but on myself,” he explained.

Ideal outcome: wait and trust

Even with fist strength as the main weapon, Bruno Blindado avoids predicting what the outcome of the confrontation that ends the preliminary card will be like. The athlete, however, suggests how it could happen.

“I never really plan the ending, because it always turns out differently. Of course we know that some things can happen. I think a knockout is coming. I fight with both bases. So, I don't care about hands. I'm trusting the left-handed base, because he lets his guard down on his right side a lot. It's very vulnerable. I think about a kick to the head or a punch to shut it down,” he concluded.

Athletes' history

At 32, Bruno Blindado is heading towards his 27th commitment as a professional in MMA. The fighter currently has 20 wins and six losses in his career.

TUF Champion in 2016, Andrew Sanchez, 33, is going into his 19th fight in the sport. The North American has 12 triumphs and six stumbles in the sport.