Kevin Lee is scheduled to face Charles Oliveira in a lightweight bout in the main event of UFC Brasilia, which takes place this weekend.
Going into the bout, Lee is full of confidence. He is coming off of a devastating 1st-round knockout victory over Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244. The 27 year old “Motown Phenom” is going into enemy territory, facing Charles Oliveira in his native country of Brazil. It was recently announced that the card is going to be converted into a closed-door event, meaning that there will be no fans in attendance. Kevin Lee isn’t phased by this and released a statement on this matter earlier.
He recently spoke with Combate ahead of this weekend’s headliner, revealing that he plans to beat his Brazilian opponent on the ground – Oliveira’s “bread and butter”. See what the former interim UFC lightweight title challenger said below:
“I expect a great fight. Charles Oliveira has the record for submissions in UFC history and his last two wins were by knockout. He is very thorough and will try to put on a show for his people. It will be a great fight,” Lee said. “I have faced many black belts in jiu-jitsu, and Charles is the most decorated of them. I am very excited to test myself against him. He’s the most effective finisher in the UFC, so if I beat him on the ground, he’ll really show that I’m the best. I think our styles match very well.”
Lee has already set his sights on his next opponent. He revealed that he would like to get matched up against Islam Makhachev in Russia later this year. When asked about why he’s interested in fighting a lower ranked opponent, his answer was simple – he already feels like he is number one:
“I don’t look at rankings very much, but if you look based on skills, this is because of the position of challenger number one,” he said. “That’s where my mind is. I’m number one already, and I can’t wait to show it”
His opponent, Charles Oliveira will be entering the bout on a 6-fight winning streak. More impressively, Oliveira has finished his last 6 opponent by strikes or submission, all in the 1st or 2nd round.
This article first appeared on CLOSEDGUARDMEDIA.com on 13th March, 2020.
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