Thiago Moises is looking to notch a finish, then make a relatively quick turnaround in his home country.
He takes on Damir Ismagulov this Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 15 in Shenzhen, China, and is hoping that with a quick knockout, he can make it on the UFC on ESPN+ 22 card in Sao Paulo, set to take place on Nov. 16.
“Without a doubt, Damir is highly experienced, with a long record of wins,” Moises told MMA Junkie in his native Portuguese. “He comes from a well-regarded promotion, M-1, where he was champion. But I believe in myself. I see myself winning by KO and bringing another victory back to Brazil. He has very technical striking, so I expect this to be an enjoyable fight for the fans. I’ll be looking to knock him out the entire time.
“After this bout, I very much want to be on the UFC Sao Paulo card on Nov. 16. I want to fight near my birthplace.”
After dropping his UFC debut to Beneil Dariush on short notice at this past November’s UFC Fight Night 139, Moises (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was able to rebound with a unanimous decision win over Kurt Holobaugh at May’s UFC 237. A veteran of some significant shows on the regional scene, Moises believes his outside-the-octagon experience has allowed him to make a smooth transition to the UFC, and he now looks to string a few wins together in the lightweight division.
“RFA, LFA and the Contender Series were great,” Moises said. “I got to fight many tough opponents. I was able to bring that accumulated experience into the UFC. It made me the fighter I am today.
“I never took easy fights to pad my record. I fully trust in my potential. More recently, I beat a dangerous Kurt Holobaugh, with all the pressure of fighting in Rio de Janeiro, in my home country. For my next fight, in hostile territory, the gameplan is the same – to dominate in every round.”
Training out of American Top Team, Moises joins his new teammate, Andre Soukhamthath, who he traveled with two weeks early to China, in order to get acclimated to a foreign land. He also got the opportunity to visit the brand new UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai.
“It was very important for me to arrive in China two weeks prior to my bout, to adapt to the time zone difference,” Moises said. “I went to train at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai. Arriving early was crucial. At UFC PI, the structure is incredible. There’s everything – nutritionists, physical therapists, two octagons, a ring, heavy bags, and high-quality exercise equipment. I also did body-fat and water-percentage tests, to help in my weight cut. They also have ice baths, saunas, and hydromassage to help in recovery.”
With his preparation complete, Moises said he is expecting the fight with Ismagulov to play out on the feet, but he’s been sharpening every aspect of his game in preparation for a thriller.
“My coaches at American Top Team put together my fight strategy,” Moises said. “I’m training in every facet of the sport. Every day I improve my striking, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I have a ton of training partners. I’ll be very ready. I’m bringing this victory back home to Brazil.”
