Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Vinicius Oliveira already passed one big test on Friday: successfully making weight.After four straight wins in the UFC, Brazilian “Lok Dog” Oliveira gets the chance to headline his first event against Mario Bautista on Saturday. He and Bautista will compete in the five-round main attraction of UFC Fight Night 266, also known as UFC Vegas 113, at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old is big for his division, standing 6-foot-4 with a 7-foot wingspan. He knows his time at bantamweight is limited.
In conversation with the UFC On Thursday, Vinicius promised he plans to move up in weight, but only after he claims the bantamweight belt.“When I heard about the fight three months ago, I was 183 pounds,” the Brazilian admitted. “I have since started the process with a nutritionist who has helped me get down to 163 pounds come fight week. On Friday I will be at the weight I have always been. I am the size to fight at featherweight or lightweight, but I won’t think about that until I win the bantamweight belt.”
Now that he can put the weight cut behind him after officially tipping the scales at 136 pounds, all attention turns straight to his upcoming opponent. His opponent was on an eight-fight win streak, but that all came to an end last October when Umar Nurmagomedov gained the upper hand. As for Bautista, Oliveira didn’t even look past him, predicting that his unpredictability would lead to his advantage.“Bautista is a good fighter who has mastered the basics of MMA,” he noted, “but I am an unpredictable, versatile guy and I will be the Brazilian who will beat him.”
Monster in the mirror
If he can get his fifth win in his fifth UFC appearance, “Lok Dog” will have his sights set on gold.”I would like to fight at the White House mid-year. It could be against Cory Sandhagen or Sean O’Malley. But if they don’t call me, that’s no problem. Mid-year I hope to fight a top five opponent, and by the end of the year I hope to fight the champion of my weight class,” the 135er analyzed.
When asked what fans can expect from his fifth walk into the UFC cage, Oliveira didn’t shy away from his answer.
“‘Lok Dog’ is a monster that lives inside me and can only be unleashed in the cage; if it is released earlier, it will cause a lot of damage. This Saturday, fans of this monster, which feeds on the pain of its opponents, can expect this monster to be unleashed to put on a new show,” the Brazilian concluded.
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