Paulo Thiago says he is not concerned about facing Thiago Alves at UFC 107 later this year, despite the Brazilian representing his third consecutive weltweweight contender opponent since joining the UFC. A Brazilian himself, Paulo has faced Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and now Thiago Alves in his three UFC outings, possibly the toughest welcome anyone has had to the premier league of MMA.
“I believe in my will, dedication and hard training. The sun rises for everyone. We are aware of the difficulty of a fight like this, but the difficulty is the same as the wind that blows on all sides, including his,” he told Brasil Combate.
Paulo says he feels “more prepared and more motivated” than ever in his career. “I am no longer the same fighter that fought with Josh Koscheck nor with Jon Fitch. I have evolved each workout – physically, psychologically and spiritually,” he explains.
Some said his KO win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 was a flukey debut win. When he was matched with Jon Fitch for his next outing, they expected him to be dealt with in short order. But in fact, Paulo nearly submitted former title challenger Fitch and eventually took him the distance, losing a decision.
“A few factors out of the fight that influenced my performance, but they are things I’d rather not comment on. The fact is that I was overcome. What made me most frustrated was that I failed to give my all. It is one thing to give your best and be overcome, it is another when you get that feeling that you could have done the things you usually do but did not.”
Paulo believes that “in modern MMA, strategy is very important to get the victory. My team knew what [Fitch] would do and he did. We train a lot, the strategy was ready, but at the time I did not win”. Now, Paulo and Team Constrictor are building a strategy for Alves.
“He has a strong heart, a lot of technique, a lot of gas, good at striking and a sharp ground game,” is Paulo’s glowing assessment of the man who’s last fight was a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre. “I have no doubt that to face him, we must also do a training of high level.”
One thing he does say is that his strategy will not necessarily mimic the one that Georges St. Pierre used to beat Alves, which involved a lot of takedowns and ground control. “That method was found to work for GSP, but that does not mean ours will necessarily be the same. Alves can not be underestimated in any way – he will always be a dangerous fighter to face.”
http://www.brasilcombate.com.br/paulo-t ... -motivated
