Paulo Thiago "will surprise Koscheck"
Bruno Carvalho – Brasil Combate
UFC newcomer Paulo Thiago will surprise Josh Koscheck when they meet at UFC 95 in London next month, his coach has promised.
Rodrigo Aguiar, Muay Thai instructor at Constrictor Team, says Thiago is putting in eight training sessions a week geared solely towards Thai boxing adapted for mixed martial arts.
And Aguiar says that his student, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, will not be fazed by the fact that he will be facing a top welterweight contender in his Octagon debut.
“Paulo Thiago has spirit and heart of champion and it is a premium for a champion to fight tough opponents. This is the path to get his goal, that is the top. Paulo never wanted easy fights. He is a winner,” he said.
Asked if Thiago might succumb to Octagon nerves, like so many UFC first-timers, the answer from Aguiar is an emphatic “No”..
“Paulo fought four times inside a cage in 2008 and has trained exhaustively in it,“ he explained.
“And don’t forget that other Constrictor Team fighters have already fought in the cage in USA, including Rani Yahiya [WEC] who has a lot of experience in these rules. So it won't be anything new.”
“Paulo is able to surprise under any situation. Ataíde Jr (Constrictor Team leader) knows how to prepare an athlete. He's well-trained and ready for all possibilities in a fight like this.”
