RDA: I am happier at welterweight
RDA: “At lightweight, I had nothing else to get rid of but still had pounds to lose, so it’s being easier now.”
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos used to fight twice, once to make weight, and then in the Octagon. Now 32, he makes his welterweight debut vs. former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore, having finished up his camp at Evolve MMA.
“At lightweight, I had nothing else to get rid of but still had pounds to lose, so it’s being easier now, said RDA to Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. “It’s been easier, less stressful. I’m happier, only thinking about the fight.
“[Saffiedine] is a striker, but this is a MMA fight. I have more weapons, I believe I have more takedowns and jiu-jitsu, but I won’t give everything I have to get him down. Of course, I’ll try to take him down, but the fight starts standing and I’ll see which opportunities he gives me. I’ll walk straight forward and put pressure the entire time. That’s how I fight.”
“I want to win. It doesn’t need to be in a flashy way – ‘Oh, I have to finish him.’ No. I want to win, I want to win well. Of course, I’ll use my strategy, but I don’t fight to score points and win a decision. I’ll always fight for the submission or the knockout. It’s always good to win by submission or knockout. My last submission was five years ago, but I won’t waste an opportunity this time.”
“He’s a ranked fighter, so I’ll be in a good position in the division with a win over him in my welterweight debut. Demian is going for the belt now, there are other guys ahead of me. I’ll get there slowly, no rush. My time will come.
“When I relaxed and stopped thinking about the lightweight belt, that’s when it came. I’ll continue fighting and worrying about winning, doing my job. The belt is the consequence.”
For residents of the USA, UFC Fight Night 111 is UFC Fight Day 111, due to the time difference.
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass, 8 a.m. ET)
Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia
Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcin Tybura
Colby Covington vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Prelim Card (UFC Fight Pass, 4:30 a.m. ET)
Takanori Gomi vs. Jon Tuck
Cyril Asker vs. Walt Harris
Alex Caceres vs. Rolando Dy
Ulka Sasaki vs. Justin Scoggins
Frank Camacho vs. Li Jingliang
Russell Doane vs. Kwan Ho Kwak
Carls John de Tomas vs. Naoki Inoue
Ji Yeon Kim vs. Lucie Pudilova