LAS VEGAS – Undefeated Brazilian heavyweight Rodrigo Nascimento impressed Dana White and the UFC matchmakers to earn a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series 22 on Tuesday night.
Now he appears set to face a swift turnaround for his octagon debut.
Dana White revealed in his post-event scrum that matchmaker Mick Maynard had floated the possibility of a debut for Nascimento (7-0) as early as August and, speaking to the media backstage after his win, the Brazilian seemed happy with that idea.
“No problem, I’m ready!” he said. “I don’t know who, I don’t know where, but definitely I’m ready. I need to talk to the UFC and my agent.”
Nascimento impressed in his heavyweight showcase against Michal Martinak. He finished the Czech fighter with a first-round arm-triangle choke. It was a sweet moment for the 26-year-old, who was proud to show off his grappling skills.
“I feel blessed and happy because I train hard in my jiu-jitsu and I tried to put my game on the mat,” he said. “Today, everything worked and I used my jiu-jitsu to submit my opponent. I respect my opponent, but I have good jiu-jitsu and I believe in it.
“After the submission, I knew that definitely, I’m in the UFC right now –because it was a great fight, a clean fight, and thank you to the UFC.”
Nascimento has been splitting his training time between his team back home in Brazil and American Top Team in South Florida. It’s a formula that proved successful for his Contender Series fight, and one he plans on replicating for his UFC bouts moving forward.
“It’s very important for me to train in Brazil – it’s like half and half, training in Brazil, then finish the camp in American Top Team,” he said. “That’s better for me, this scenario – half and half. Half in Brazil, half at American Top Team, and definitely in future we will do the same.”
That commitment to training in both Brazil and the United States extends to his fights, too. He said that he would love to repay the UFC’s faith in him by putting on exciting performances on U.S. soil.
“I want to be fighting in my country of Brazil, definitely,” he said. “But I’m so happy here. It doesn’t matter who, it doesn’t matter where, but I’m ready. But for me it’s better to fight here in the U.S.A. because I love this country, I respect (it), and I would like to show my gratitude to the UFC.”
