Lucas Mineiro returns to the UFC and dreams of a knockout in his hometown

lucas mineiro hopes to have support from the fans when he returns to Belo Horizonte. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Winner of the best fight of the night bonus at UFC at Combate 2, in May, lucas mineiro returns to the octagon on September 4th, against newcomer Ramiro Hernandez. The fight will be full of expectations and news for the athlete, who will make his debut in the bantamweight division (up to 61kg) in his hometown, Belo Horizonte.

In two appearances in Ultimate in the lightweight category (up to 70kg), Mineiro recorded a defeat, in his debut, to Edson Barboza, and a victory, over Jeremy Larsen. On both occasions, he considers he felt smaller than his opponent, and hopes to have a different performance in BH.

“Losing weight is always very difficult, dieting is very bad, but everything is on schedule. There's still 6kg left and now it's the final preparation, but I don't think I'll have any problems. There are eight days left until the official weigh-in and I won't have any problems, because everything is as planned by master Diego Lima. I assure the fans that I am coming stronger than ever to this new category”, says Lucas.

To overcome the tough weight cut, the Chute Boxe SP athlete is clinging to the possibility of putting on a show for friends and family who will be in the stands at the Mineirinho gym. In Jaraguá do Sul, the emotional side helped him, and motivated by the wedding that will take place soon, he won the fight of the night bonus.

“Fighting in Brazil is great, Belo Horizonte is my hometown and the fans will all be with me, family, friends, that motivates me a lot. I'm too focused on this fight and I want to put on a show for the Brazilian fans. I'm sure I'll be victorious and if a knockout comes it will be perfect”, aims Mineiro.

Regarding his opponent, UFC newcomer Ramiro Hernandez, who has a record of 13 wins and 4 losses, Lucas says he knows little about him, but he knows that the American has a striking game similar to his. For him, the important thing is to always be ready for any opponent.

“I know he's going to debut in the UFC now and he's also dropped in category. He's an athlete who comes from kickboxing, he likes to fight like me and I go for it, I don't have to choose an opponent. Anyone who comes I'm going to knock them out”, concludes the Brazilian.