Bader seeks convincing victory over Minotouro: 'I feel complete'

Bader faces Minotouro in São Paulo. Photo: Bruno Ferreira/SUPER FIGHTS

With his eyes on the long-awaited opportunity to compete for the UFC light heavyweight belt, Ryan bader has a clear mission in mind for the UFC Sao Paulo. The North American hopes not only to win, but to convince in the rematch against Rogério Minotouro, which will be the main attraction this Saturday (19).

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Bader has faced Minotouro in the past: in 2010, at UFC 119, he defeated the Brazilian in a unanimous decision by the judges. This time, in an exclusive interview with SUPER FIGHTS, the athlete said he believes he has the resources to defeat the Brazilian veteran in an even more convincing way.

“When we fought, it was my first big opponent in MMA. I was pretty much just a wrestler at that time. I just wanted to think about taking the fight to the ground. Now, I have a more complete game: I'm comfortable striking, I'm aware of strikes, feints, takedowns. And I improved my wrestling [for MMA], my jiu-jitsu,” he explained. “Now I’m a more complete package and I’ve evolved a lot. I'd give Bader a beating from 2010! So now I want to show how much I've evolved and win convincingly. After that fight, I faced former world champions, guys who later became world champions, people from the top 10. So, today I feel like a much more complete fighter.”

Precisely because he feels more comfortable in different areas, Bader left it open what his strategy will be against Minotouro. “I'm there to exchange with him, to take him down. I feel like I can do well in any area. Let's see how things develop inside the octagon. But I know I can feel comfortable no matter where the fight is,” he explained.

This will be the second time that Bader plays in front of Brazilian fans. In 2013, he lost to Glover Teixeira in Belo Horizonte in the first round. However, the North American minimizes the effect of fighting away from home. “It won't make any difference. I've fought all over the world: I faced [Quinton] Rampage in Japan, where he is idolized. In my last fight, I faced a European in Europe. They were all for him and all against me. I notice it, I feel the energy, but I love that feeling. I’m going to turn this to my advantage inside the Octagon,” he added.

O UFC Sao Paulo will be held this Saturday (19) and will start at 21pm (Brasília time) with full coverage of the SUPER FIGHTS, with narration of the fights in real time, combat reports and post-event interviews.

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