B. Souza had to shave his head, but failed to make the weight cut to UFC 268. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
O UFC 268, an event that will be held next Saturday (6) at Madison Square Garden, in New York (USA), carries extreme expectations for the debut of the Lyoto Machida, Bruno Souza, which faces Melsik Baghdasaryan in the second fight on the preliminary card at the event.
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In an exclusive interview to SUPER FIGHTS, Bruno reveals that he is fulfilling a dream of debuting on a numbered card in an arena that has already featured great names in the history of the sport.
“We say it can’t get any bigger than that, right? There's no way to have a bigger debut than at Madison Square Garden, in one of the biggest events of the year. So, a crowd will definitely be watching the fight. I have a lot of advantage there. It's very different if I was debuting in an Apex. It would be nice too, but it's different. It’s a temple and it doesn’t get any bigger than that,” said Souza.
Ward of Lyoto Machida, Bruno Souza always speaks fondly about his mentor. When asked about the matter, the Brazilian stated that he had spoken to theDragon' when he signed his contract and reveals the MMA legend's happiness.
“We talked and he was very happy. He saw me at four years old, growing up. So it must be really cool to see someone evolve and go after it. In 2009 he was champion and, before that, I already wanted to fight. But it was motivation for me to fight. It was a very big example for me. LFA prepares athletes very well for the UFC and he told me that I'm ready”, said the Brazilian.
Invited by the UFC dressed as 'Tigger'
A big dream for any athlete who competes in mixed martial arts, an invitation to fight in Ultimate can happen at any time. And, in the case of Bruno Souza, the call occurred at an unusual moment. In a relaxed way, the Brazilian says that he was teaching at the 'Machida Team' of a character from the Disney cartoon 'Winnie the Pooh', when he found out that he would compete in the organization.
“Last weekend was Halloween in the United States, so I was teaching dressed as 'Tigger' (a character from Winnie the Pooh) and one of my managers called me. When I answered, he saw me in costume – we laughed our asses off – and asked me if I would make the weight to UFC 268. I had just eaten a pizza, but I accepted before I even knew who my opponent was. It’s something I always wanted and had prepared psychologically for it”, revealed the athlete.
Study of the opponent and focus on the future of the organization
On the eve of combat, Bruno Souza He has already managed to adapt his style of play to face Melsik Baghsaryan. According to him, a greater study of his opponent was not necessary for the duel this Saturday (6). And, in addition to his debut, the Brazilian envisions reaching the 'top' of the world during his time in the UFC.
"The Melsik Baghdasaryan He's very good, he kicks and punches very hard, but he's a standard kickboxer. So, it doesn't have anything very new that would require a larger study. We have a strategy and we will see if it will work on Saturday. I'm a very competitive guy. I've been competing in karate my whole life, and in my head, I want to be the best of all time. I'll die trying. My goal has never been to be one more – even though that could happen, but if I'm going to get into something, I want to be the best. That's why I didn't go to play football (laughs). I want to be champion, defend the title. I know it’s just starting, but if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have started”, he concluded.
Athlete History
Brazilian promise in the featherweight division (up to 65,7kg.), Bruno Souza, 25 years old, is arriving at a great moment in his career. After losing in his debut in 2016, the Brazilian went on a run of ten victories – the last being for the PFL division title.
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