Diego Brandao needs to be a UFC fighter once more.
Brandao spent years of his life competing in Russia and different nations in that space of the world, typically exterior his authentic weight class, and noticed his report drop from 20-11, when he left the UFC in 2016, to 29-22 this yr.
At that time, he had sufficient.
A UFC veteran and Final Fighter actuality present winner, Brandao determined to “repair my life” and go away these promotions and return to North America, all to show a degree. The 38-year-old needed to point out the world he might nonetheless be within the UFC, and to show it, he agreed to face any prospect in the USA.
Brandao fought 12-2 featherweight expertise Jamie Siraj in March and received through first-round knockout, a spinning wheel kick that went viral and earned him the Tuff-N-Uff belt. This previous Sunday, 4 miles away from the place Ilia Topuria shocked the world at UFC 317, Brandao as soon as once more received by wheel kick knockout to efficiently defend his belt in opposition to a a lot youthful Contender Collection veteran in Canaan Kawaihae.
“I feel the UFC goes to name,” Brandao informed MMA Preventing on Tuesday evening. “We’ll discuss to them tomorrow and see what they thought [of the fight]. Sean Shelby was there however individuals wouldn’t go away him be, there was a bunch of individuals round him, so he left earlier than the co-main occasion.”
Brandao mentioned that Shelby, the UFC matchmaker, was the rationale why he determined to give up combating in Russia.
“I left the Russian cash as a result of I went to Las Vegas and requested Sean Shelby what was lacking for me to be again [to the UFC],” Brandao mentioned. “[He said] ‘Diego, go away Russia and combat in your weight class. Knock three individuals out and name me.’ [I said] ‘F*ck, why didn’t you inform me that some time in the past?’ First combat, killed the person. Second one, growth, it’s over. The person mentioned three fights? Let’s go. My head is on that third combat as a result of Sean Shelby is a person of his phrase. He mentioned that, so he’ll do what he mentioned.
“Dana White has already cleared me [to go back], however Sean Shelby is the deal. I do know Dana White can put me again there if he needs to, however there’s a course of. Dana White received’t open the doorways for me as a result of he is aware of how I’m, my previous. ‘I’ll put Diego right here simply and he can mess issues up. No, let me see if he actually needs it. Let him work.’ I consider that’s how Dana thinks. And I’m not as vital as Conor McGregor to name Dana White like that.
“And I like this manner, to combat, as a result of that’s the way you recognize issues. If I’ve to combat a 3rd combat, I’ll go for it with starvation as a result of then they’ll see and understand it. They need to see me like that, in a conflict, combating, as a result of they received’t simply put him again in there like that. They know who I’m, they know I must work arduous to worth it. They know that.”
Brandao mentioned he has modified so much in comparison with his previous UFC days, extra mature as an athlete and a person. Away from out-of-the-cage drama and beating prospects left and proper, Brandao mentioned he doubtless defends his Tuff-N-Uff featherweight belt in November if the UFC calls doesn’t come sooner, and it will be in opposition to UFC, Bellator and PFL veteran Kai Kamaka III.
“Hawaii, BJ [Penn] is the one one from there that beats me, after we skilled collectively,” Brandao mentioned. “The others, no probability. I’ll end him.”
