UFC, the best known company worldwide when it comes to organizing mixed martial arts (MMA) events, joined the Argentine Marcelo Rojo, who will fight next February 27 against the very tough Brazilian Raoni Barcelos. The “Pitbull“He thus joins Santiago Ponzinibbio, Guido Cannetti and Laureano Staropoli, the three compatriots who saw action in recent years.
The Rio Cuarto native, who years ago settled in Tijuana to train at the Entram Gym in Mexico, was part of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that was recorded in Argentina in 2016. Now, after the departure of Raphael Assunção Due to the coronavirus, Rojo won the deserved chance to be shown in the most famous octagon.
Rojo, a bantamweight (135 pounds), arrives with extensive international experience, since in the Combate Americas franchise he fought eight times (six wins and two losses), a cage that gave Latino fighters a lot of glass.
In dialogue with Clarion He said that he accepted the fight a week in advance after many twists and turns, and that he does not mind the lack of rhythm (his last clash was in September 2019). “The Pitbull, dad. If you want I will fight you a day in advance, “he said, laughing.
– Have you been waiting for this opportunity for a long time?
– Yes, I’ve been working for this for years. The truth is I am very well, I feel very happy, happy to be able to fight and do what I like so much. And what better than to do it in the most famous cage in the world. There were many twists and turns, no fights were closed because for all this pandemic, the UFC was only hiring fighters with visas. There were many procedures, many twists and turns, good news and bad. In fact, on Friday they said yes … and on the same Friday they said no; and then on Saturday afternoon they said yes again.
– Do you think it helped this chance that your partner and friend Brandon Moreno had a great fight against Figueiredo (flyweight champion)?
-I think it did help. He targeted the entire Entram team and the work that Latinos have been doing for MMA.
– You took the fight on short notice. How are you physically?
– Physically and mentally I feel ready for the challenge. It’s what I always looked for. So far this week we are going to solve the weight issue, which is the only difficult thing in short notice fights. But hey! Who takes a fight in a week? The Pitbull dad. If you want I will fight you a day in advance …
– You had no clashes since September 2019, how will the lack of rhythm influence?
– That of ‘ring rust‘(ring rust) is no problem. I did camp after camp, and I already have the necessary experience. Lack of rhythm have people who do nothing. With a pandemic, without a gym and without fighting, I never stopped growing. I train twice a day; rhythm is what I have left.
I just saw my name on TV on the next ufc billboard
my heart will come out
– PitbullRojo (@MarceRojoMMA) February 21, 2021
– How did you get through the pandemic, in 2020?
– It was shit. I did not work, I did not make money and I spent it teaching in a park to have money to eat. And this is the story of the majority of Latino fighters, who we live from day to day. Many more things happened but what is the use of reflecting on what 2020 did: I don’t care, it’s over.
– How do you think the UFC experience will be?
– I already lived several similar experiences. I am already an experienced fighter, I am going to enjoy the process and everything that this week brings.
– How did things turn out with Combate Americas?
– Luckily he released my contract to become a free agent and for the UFC to give me this opportunity. And obviously I was good with them, it is one of the few organizations that bets on Latin talent. I will always be part of the Combate family. I spent a few good years there.
– From that TUF fighter who came to the Clarín newsroom years ago: What do you think you evolved the most in?
– MMA is a very crazy sport in which you never stop learning and evolving. It is a continuous process, so the one that slows down a little is already delayed. Now thanks to Raul Arvizu I’m a complete fighter, thanks to ‘Black ‘Fini I’m a smart fighter, and thanks to ‘Colo ‘Lemon I am an aggressive fighter who is not afraid of anything.
In the main clash of the night they will face Jairzinho Rozenstruik and french Ciryl Gane. The co-star will be between the Ukrainian Nikita Krylov and the russian Magomed Ankalaev.
AFG
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source https://pledgetimes.com/another-argentine-to-the-ufc-the-expected-landing-of-marcelo-rojo-in-the-most-famous-octagon/
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