About to debut in the UFC, Maluko dreams of facing Anderson or Belfort

M. Maluko debuts this Saturday (9) in the UFC (Photo: Reproduction Facebook LFA)

*By Laerte Viana

Markus Maluko is a character in his own right. Charismatic and a fan of trash talk, the undefeated middleweight, who debuts in his new home against Erik Anders at UFC Fresno, next Saturday (09), arrives at Ultimate with bold plans, including winning two belts in the organization. Despite his 'newbie' status, he already has a strategy in place to gain prominence among the best in the world: putting on a show in the Octagon.

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“If you look at my fights, you will see that I am an unorthodox guy. I'm focused on putting on a show in my fights, the things I do are always aimed at putting on a show. And that's something I don't see at middleweight, I see most fighters just doing rice and beans, there's not much of a show. And this was lost a little in the category, as the only one who could put on a show was the Anderson Silva. He was a middleweight sensation precisely because he did that, put on a show, not just fought. And when you put on a show, you automatically sell the fight, sell pay per view, everyone wants to watch. That's who I am, that's my style, I like to put on a show. So I see myself moving up very quickly in the category, so I’m going to put on a show and people will want to watch me”, he declared in an exclusive interview.

At just 27 years old and with a 9-0 record (10-0, according to him), Maluko has built a solid career so far, having beaten well-known names such as Paulo thiago and Idemar Marajó, in addition to winning the LFA middleweight belt in September this year. Aware of the higher level of competition he will find in the UFC, the newcomer doesn't want to know about facing unknown names. Aiming high, he chooses the legends Anderson Silva, Vitor belfort e Lyoto Machida as possible future opponents.

“If I could choose, I would definitely like to face the Georges St Pierre, huh? (laughter). I always wanted to face a guy I admire, but he's no longer in the UFC, which is the Gegard Mousasi. It would be a dream for my career to be able to face the Anderson Silva, Vitor belfort, Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo Jacare…all of these names would be good. But a good option is Kelvin Gastelum, which is on the rise. (…) And a guy I would like to fight, but is not in my category, is Colby covington. I would love to drop in weight just to beat him”, guaranteed Markus.

Read Markus Maluko’s interview in full:

SUPER FIGHTS: How did the invitation to debut in the UFC come about?

Markus Maluko: Since my fight that I did with the Paulo thiago (in June 2016) I already imagined that the UFC might call me. My manager was also already behind, trying to close a contract with the organization, but I had to wait a little longer. I also fought against (Idemar) Marajó and then the fight for the LFA belt.

SL: You were scheduled to fight with just a month's notice. Do you think that the little preparation time could interfere with something?

MM: It doesn't hurt, because I'm always training really hard, even if it's not fighting season, so it's no problem for me. People say: 'Ah, you only have a month to prepare', but my opponent also only has a month to prepare to fight me. So it doesn't bother me at all.

SL: Do you feel any kind of pressure to be debuting in the biggest MMA organization in the world? 

MM: I always thought I would be anxious, but when the invitation came, when they told me that I was going to fight in the UFC, I was happy, but I was very calm, very calm. My body can control anxiety well, largely due to the amount of fights I've already done. I fought at the LFA, in September, at the opponent's home, against altitude, crowd, in a large organization, very well organized, and even so I fought calmly. So I think I learned to deal with it, I control my anxiety well.

SL: Where is the fight camp being held? 

MM: I started, as always, with the Viscardi Andrade. So all my strategy for the fight is always done with Master Viscardi, but I trained in several places. I trained with Demian Maia, in Vila da Luta, with (Marcos Rogério) Pezão, at 011, I trained my boxing there at Ryan Gracie Butantã, jiu-jitsu there at Ryan Gracie at X-Coach, and I also trained with Gabriel Miglioli.

SL: O Erik Anders, like you, is a former LFA middleweight champion. What do you know about his game and what will be your strategy?

MM: I studied his main points. He likes to frame his opponents, he's a southpaw guy who throws a lot of jabs with his front hand, and then shoots with his heavy hand. He focuses a lot on strength, not much on technique. He also uses the wrestler to take him down, but he doesn't have much technique, he's a bit rough. Every part of his game is focused more on brutality, he doesn't have much technique. So my strategy will be to work a lot on movement, not to stand still in front of him and try to counterattack. I'm going to feint a lot, work a lot of kicks and elbows, when possible, to try for a knockout. If the round is close, try for a takedown at the end to guarantee the round. And I'm sure that if I take him down, I'll submit him on the ground, because he doesn't have much jiu-jitsu.

SL: What are your short-term plans for the UFC?

MM: My focus in the UFC is to win two belts in different categories, 77kg (welterweight) and 84kg (middleweight). Regarding possible opponents, I want to fight against the best, I don't want to be caught on the edge, I want to face the best. If in my second fight they give me a bad guy, there's no problem, on the contrary. It's what I want most. If you want to be the best in the world, you have to fight good guys.

SL: Are you new to the UFC, but have you looked to see a name you would like to face, who could give you a bigger spotlight in your next fight? 

MM: If I could choose, I would definitely like to face the Georges St Pierre, huh? (laughter). I always wanted to face a guy I admire, but he's no longer in the UFC, which is the Gegard Mousasi. It would be a dream for my career to be able to face the Anderson Silva, Vitor belfort, Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo Jacare…all of these names would be good. But a good option is Kelvin Gastelum, which is on the rise. (…) And a guy I would like to fight, but is not in my category, is Colby covington. I would love to drop weight just to beat him.

SL: Do you calmly face the fact of facing already established Brazilian MMA idols? 

MM: Sometimes people ask me what my best strength is, and I always give the same answer: it's my head. My psychology is very strong, it helps me with everything. Of course there is also my faith in God, but technically speaking what helps me most is my mentality. If I have to face an opponent of that level, I grow in the fight, so it's even better.

What do you think you need to do to stand out in the middleweight category? 

MM: If you look at my fights, you will see that I am an unorthodox guy. I'm focused on putting on a show in my fights, the things I do are always aimed at putting on a show. And that's something I don't see at middleweight, I see most fighters just doing rice and beans, there's not much of a show. And this was lost a little in the category, as the only one who could put on a show was the Anderson Silva. He was a middleweight sensation precisely because he did that, put on a show, not just fought. And when you put on a show, you automatically sell the fight, sell pay per view, everyone wants to watch. That's who I am, that's my style, I like to put on a show. So I see myself rising very quickly in the category, so I'm going to put on a show and people will want to watch me.

Currently, trash talk is on the rise among fighters. How do you see the need for provocation in pre-fight promotion? Do you like using it?

MM: I think this (trash talk) is completely necessary, as the athlete fights for the audience. Of course he fights for himself, to prove himself... everyone has their own goal. But, regardless of your personal objective, you fight for the audience, your fight is sold to the audience, they are the ones who pay your salary. So they like to see a show, something besides the fight. The fighter has to understand that he is also a marketer, he creates a brand around his name, there are many people who will look up to him. Trash talk is important, but we have to remember to respect our opponents. We were able to do a cool promotion without having to disrespect the opponent, their space.