Marcos Rogerio de Lima is expecting a barnburner against Ben Sosoli.
Rogerio de Lima (16-6-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) takes on Sosoli (7-2-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) – a familiar face for his camp, American Top Team – at this weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 26, which takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) in Auckland, New Zealand.
Owner of 11 knockouts on his resume, Rogerio de Lima sees this matchup primarily playing out on the feet.
“Ben Sosoli is young but also very tough,” Rogerio de Lima told MMA Junkie. “He comes from striking, as do I. He is a good boxer. He fights well on the feet. It’s also one of my attributes. He’s already faced two of my training partners at American Top Team – Greg Hardy and Juan Espino.
“Without a doubt, it will be a striking affair. I’m a little taller, a bit lighter, and faster than him. I foresee a great, highly active, and very violent three-round fight. The fans will be the true winners of this matchup.”
After missing weight in back-to-back contests at 205 pounds, Rogerio de Lima decided to make the move back up to heavyweight. He’s gone 1-1 in the division since, picking up a win over Adam Wieczorek at UFC 230 in 2018 but then suffering a submission loss to Stefan Struve at UFC on ESPN+ 3 in February 2019.
Having competed at heavyweight numerous times before in his career, “Pezao” thinks the UFC’s heavyweight division is better than it’s ever been.
“I’m not thinking much about what happens after this bout,” Rogerio de Lima said. “I’m focused on getting this win first. I’m coming off an injury. It’s very important for me to get this win. I last fought against Steven Struve. That was exactly one year ago. I want a good win. More recently, the UFC heavyweight class has improved a lot. The quality of the fighters is much better. That’s where I want to be champion.”
He heads into enemy territory to take on “Dana White’s Contender Series” veteran Sosoli, but the 34-year-old Brazilian is not fazed. After one year on the sidelines due to a knee injury, he’s ready to snap his inconsistent win-loss record and make a run in the heavyweight division.
“Having the fans rooting for or against you – it doesn’t matter either way,” Rogerio de Lima said. “Once the cage is closed, there are only two guys in there, equally determined to be victorious. It doesn’t affect my motivation. I’m motivated by making history. I want people to remember my name.
“This is my comeback. It will be very memorable. After this Saturday, people will truly understand why I’m on the UFC heavyweight roster.”
