Cezar Ferreira and Elias Theodorou have something in common, which is that they have both one the UFC Ultimate Fighter.
Ferreira, commonality aside with Theodorou, wants to break his Canadian counterpart apart inside the Octagon.
“I believe that Elias Theodorou is a great fighter with great skills,” Ferreira said to MMA Junkie. “We both have the same title – ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ champion. I see this fight as ‘TUF’ champ vs. ‘TUF’ champ – Brazil vs. Canada. We’re both good fighters coming off good wins. This is as if we’re putting our titles on the line. I’m ready to win, no matter where the fight goes. I am aware of his qualities, but I’m even more aware of my own. I can say this: His game is predictable, and I expect to knock him out within two rounds. … I won’t be overconfident, but I’m confident enough to know I can break him in every aspect – emotionally, technically and physically.”
If Ferreira is successful at UFC Fight Night 105, he would be the first fighter to defeat a Fightful contributor since the site launched last year.
Ferreira has also been dealing with some injuries during his UFC tenure, but the middleweight star isn’t making any excuses.
“I never wanted to use (injuries) as an excuse,” Ferreira said. “I’m very happy that I kept on fighting. I won some, lost some, but I’m glad I persevered in the pursuit of my goals. Today I make it a point to talk about this subject, not to promote myself, but as a message of perseverance to MMA fans. Never to give up. Life isn’t easy. There is always someone out there looking for a chance to knock you down. It’s like Rocky Balboa said in the movie: ‘The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.’ This is a story I also want to share with my children. I dug myself out of a hole. I came back to the light. Last year was a perfect year. I won three fights in a row, including a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus on the last one. I’m very happy to be on this path now. My best is yet to come.”
UFC Fight Night 105 takes place on Sunday, February 19 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with Derrick Lewis and Travis Browne headlining. Fightful will be providing live coverage of the event, with a post-fight podcast to follow.
