Brazilian High Workforce has produced a number of the greatest MMA fighters in its heyday, from the Nogueira brothers to Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Arona, Vitor Belfort and Paulo Filho. With Bustamante nonetheless main BTT to today, it’s time for Jose Delano to try to carry the workforce again to the UFC for the primary time since Rousimar Palhares and Pedro Nobre’s run within the early 2010’s.
Delano will battle for a UFC contract Tuesday night time, battling Manuel Exposito in the primary occasion of the second Dana White’s Contender Sequence card of 2025.
“It makes me proud to signify Brazilian High Workforce,” Delano informed MMA Preventing. “Grasp Murilo Bustamante is right here with me, and he’s very blissful. It’s gratifying to have the ability to give again to them for all of the arduous work and dedication to get me to this chance. I’m very blissful to signify and put Brazilian High Workforce again within the UFC.”
Bustamante was the primary Brazilian to win a UFC belt within the trendy period, capturing and defending the 185-pound title again in 2002 earlier than leaving the corporate as champion to hitch PRIDE in 2003. Greater than 20 years later, Delano is assured that he will likely be “the primary of many” BTT athletes to enter the UFC.
“I’m right here for a cause,” Delano mentioned. “I’m right here as a result of I’ve a whole lot of buddies which might be as robust as I’m, who make me evolve, who prepare me to get the place I’m now. I’ll open doorways for the workforce so we are able to all shine within the levels all over the world.
“[Bustamante] is at all times giving us perception of the way it was again in his day, his journey and extra. And it motivates me to as soon as once more have him by my facet. He’s at all times with me, and will likely be in my nook once more. It’s going to be an honor to have him on the APEX with me.”
A former Shooto Brazil champion, Delano has struggled making weight within the Brazilian scene previously, coming in over the restrict for each LFA title pictures. Victorious in each matches, he’s figured issues out and made 145 kilos for Tuesday’s DWCS headliner.
9 of Delano’s 15 skilled MMA wins got here by means of stoppage, and that’s the gameplan to impress UFC CEO Dana White.
“I’m going all-in within the first spherical,” Delano mentioned. “I gained’t let it go previous the primary spherical. I’ll both kill or be killed. I’m not going there to go previous the primary spherical. Possibly I’ll spend a minute feeling and learning the battle. I don’t know the way the adrenaline will likely be on the time, but when I already really feel comfy within the first minute, it’s all-in.
“When you watch all my LFA fights, all seven of them, even thew loss, I’m at all times transferring ahead to placed on a spectacle price of Dana White’s Contender Sequence. With a contract on the road or not, I’ve at all times given my all contained in the octagon as if it have been an opportunity to be within the UFC. I’m at all times with that mindset, I must placed on a present as a result of successful will not be sufficient.”
