the fight between Alex Poatán e Bruno Blindado is one of the most awaited by Brazilian fans and takes place next Saturday (12), on the main card of the UFC Las Vegas 50. In an exclusive interview with the channel SUPER FIGHTS, the kickboxing legend told his compatriot his choice and revealed that he is ready for all the areas that the clash can provide.
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With a strategy drawn up, Alex highlights that he is ready to 'fight MMA' against Bruno. The São Paulo native claims that he managed to complete a period of training focused on all areas so that he is not surprised by his opponent's attempts.
“I see a lot of flaws in Blindado, but he’s a dangerous guy. We are seeing where he makes mistakes and what his strengths are. (…) He has a lot of strengths, as he is a complete guy. I'm training well, prepared – not just in the standing part, but in general. I'm the weirdest guy he's ever faced. I'm not talking about the best, but the technically strangest. I can provide traps. I think he will come and fight, but he might want to put me down and I need to be ready for anything,” said Poatan.
Fight scheduled with Armored
The choice for a confrontation with Bruno Blindado It wasn't peaceful. According to Poatan, other athletes in the middleweight division (up to 83,9kg) refused to fight. He, however, tried to praise his opponent and revealed that he was ready to take risks in the clash.
“About 15 guys ran up and didn’t want to fight me. Lastly, it was Armored and another guy – (Krzysztof) Jotko. Blindado is a guy who was destroying everyone and has a history outside of the UFC. Much bigger than what he has in the UFC. The guy is sinister. He's one of the most well-spoken guys in the organization among Brazilians. That's why I made this choice. There are some risks that I know what they are, but I am willing and training well”, analyzed Alex.
Reaction from the Brazilian public
After the announcement of the Brazilian duel, there was a movement of disapproval from a large part of Brazilian fans, as they saw two great prospects measuring up in the octagon. Still, for Poatan, the mentality of the MMA community has already been changed and, now, they are eager to follow the fight.
“At first, I realized that the public cursed everyone, but we are not to blame. It's part of the job. But now, everyone wants to see this fight. People who pay to watch need a reward and that's what we're going to do. I'm sure that whoever wins will take a big step to reach the top,” said the Brazilian.
Relationship with Glover Teixeira
Legend of Glory, Alex Poatán He made his first professional MMA fight in 2015, but decided to leave kickboxing only in September 2021 to focus on training in martial arts. And, in a sincere statement, he admits that the light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg.), Glover Teixeira, was a fundamental part of his change.
“We didn’t know each other personally. When we went to train for the first time, he took me down and found it difficult. He told me that he didn't know I was like that on the ground – that I was aware – and said that I had to fight MMA. That's when he clicked in my mind and I knew that was what I was going to do,” he recalled.
Athletes' History
With only five fights in professional MMA, Alex Poatán has a vast CV in kickboxing, a sport in which he was world champion with GLORY and has already knocked out the current UFC champion, Israel adesanya. The São Paulo native debuted in the Ultimate Octagon in November this year, at UFC 268, when he knocked out Andreas Michailidis with a beautiful flying knee.
On the other side, Bruno Blindado He also draws attention for his ability to fight on his feet. The former champion of M-1, a Russian MMA event, debuted in Ultimate in June this year and has already recorded three victories in the Octagon, all by knockout.
