Undefeated Raphael Pessoa will look to take out a highly touted prospect come Aug. 10.
Pessoa (9-0 MMA) takes on France’s Ciryl Gane (3-0 MMA), one of Francis Ngannou’s training partners, in a heavyweight bout at UFC on ESPN+ 14 in Uruguay.
The two were briefly linked in the past, but the fight never came into fruition. Pessoa is coming off a first-round finish over Brian Heden at LFA 50, as he looks to remain unbeaten, when he takes on the fellow undefeated Gane.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 14, get to know more about Brazil’s Pessoa below:
Can you recap your career up to your last fight, a TKO win against Brian Heden in the LFA, the fight that punched your ticket into the UFC?
I started out in pro MMA in 2016, and I feel very blessed. As far as my last win, in the LFA, I trained very hard so I could have a great performance. It was the fight of my life. I already had my eyes on the UFC, as do all fighters. I fully dedicated myself in training. I tried to spot any holes in my opponent’s game. He had 46 fights. Of those, 20 were KO wins. It’s a little scary. I fully respected him. I knew he had heavy hands. We clashed. I used all my technique and willpower. I faced him like a true samurai, so I could have this victory, not just for myself, but for Brazil. Now I’m very happy and also anxious to be going into the UFC. Today I live in Curitiba, and train in one of the world’s best muay Thai and MMA schools – Evolucao Thai.
You’re about to face Ciryl Gane(Gané). Coincidentally, you were briefly booked against each other in the TKO promotion in Canada several months ago. What happened?
That card just didn’t happen. We were supposed to fight some time ago, in March. But everything is according to God’s plan. Sooner or later, we were supposed to face each other. He’s a great fighter. As a Brazilian, I have a lot of hunger to win. I respect my opponents, but I feel my hunger is much greater. I plan to put on a show. I know that my opponent is training with the same intention. I know that he’s studied me already – I’m sure of that. I feel like after nine MMA bouts, I’ve hit the reset button. It’s a new beginning for me. I’m treating this as my MMA debut. I always get nervous beforehand, but I always manage to control my emotions. Once the octagon door closes, we’ll see who’s who. It will be a great battle.
How do you see this fight playing out?
I visualize a great opportunity against another undefeated MMA fighter. Within the space of a year, I fought eight times, but I always reset back to zero after each bout. After each bout, I go back to square one, and concentrate on what’s next. He’s a great fighter. I know we’ll put on a show in the world’s greatest event. It’s the dream of every fighter.
How’s your training?
I’m in Brazil’s best academy, under the leadership of Andre Dida and Wanderlei Silva. I get everything I need from the WM Sports agency. My managers are Gustavo Marcondes and Bernardo Serale. I train every day and spar once a week. I have great fighters helping me, like Francisco ‘Massaranduba’ Trinaldo, Bruno ‘Blindado’ Silva, Wagner Prado, and Jean Patrick. They’re M-1 and UFC fighters. Master Dida also hired an additional wrestling coach. You will see a new and improved Raphael. I’m here to stay in this weight class – heavyweight. My goal was always to get into the UFC. I’m here to make some noise.
