Brazilian flyweight prospects Marcos Degli and Matheus Severino have been making waves within the regional scene for a few years now and so they see Friday’s LFA 212 interim title bout in Brasilia, Brazil, as having greater than a shiny belt on the road.
Degli received the interim title with a brutal left hook knockout over Lincon Santos in February, boosting his MMA report to 12-3 with 11 finishes. Oscar Miguel was subsequent for him, however Severino stepped in on three weeks’ discover shortly after a fast destruction of Alan Gabriel this previous Might.
The lineal champion is Eduardo Henrique, who’s scheduled to defend his belt in late August versus Devon Lozej in Ventura, Calif. Nevertheless, each Degli and Severino, named Brazilian prospects to look at in 2024 and 2023, respectively, don’t anticipate an unification bout proper after—they foresee a name to hitch the UFC in 2025.
“It’s an important battle of my profession,” Severino mentioned. “I’m combating for greater than 10 years and it’s my flip now. I consider {that a} win over him units up a unification bout with ‘Chapolin’ [Henrique], who fights now, or I’m going straight to the UFC, perhaps a spot on the Contender [Series].
“UFC is my aim. I consider I’ll signal with the UFC with a win tonight. … I’m extra mature and skilled to be within the UFC, placed on nice fights and have an extended profession there.”
Degli, who fought 11 occasions as an newbie—together with a victory over future UFC expertise Andre Lima—and has received his final 10 as a professional, believes he’s destined to hitch Dana White’s promotion after yet one more victory.
“It’s a battle between two hyped athletes,” Degli mentioned of him and Severino. “He’s 14-4, I’m 12-3 with 10 wins in a row, and this will probably be my eleventh. That can push me even additional. I consider this victory right here will get me within the UFC. That’s our aim, however we predict one battle at a time. Win this one. We by no means know what comes after, so now we have to reside the current.”
Dreaming with a UFC shot means nothing if they will’t get the job executed in Brasilia, and neither man expects a straightforward evening of labor.
“I’m not even fascinated by this as a title protection or any like that,” Degli mentioned. “I simply go there and battle like every other battle in my life. After I’m like this, there’s no additional weight on me.”
“[Severino] took the battle on three weeks’ discover and although he mentioned he was already again in coaching, it’s a battle to make weight,” he continued. “He received’t have the ability to push the tempo for 5 rounds, so now we have that in our favor. I’m extra explosive, I prefer to knock individuals out. I’m the kind of man the UFC likes, one who finishes fights, and I consider we’ll catch him within the third spherical.”
Severino did take the chance three weeks in the past as a substitute, however mentioned he doesn’t think about it to be a brief discover. In reality, he expects Degli to wrestle along with his fashion after getting ready for his earlier opponent.
“I see myself ending this battle on the toes or submitting him on the bottom. I really consider that,” mentioned Severino, brother former UFC fighter and present Oktagon title contender Igor Severino. “It’s a five-round battle so he received’t rush ahead early, and I can’t let him get comfy. He will get higher because the battle progresses and his opponents get drained, and I can’t let that occur. I’ll go for the knockout.”
Degli totally disagrees.
“He’ll come for all or nothing,” Degli mentioned. “That’s who he’s, that Chute Boxe fashion. They’re brawlers, so I plan on irritating his recreation with my motion. He’ll attempt to explode on me early and that can price him the battle as a result of he’ll gasoline out. … We’ll drown him there. He’ll be excited to be combating for a belt, and I don’t have that emotion. The belt is already mine, so I’ll simply go in there and drown him and finally catch him.”
