It’s been roughly eleven months since Raoni Barcelos last fought. The Brazilian had been lined up for a bout in March against Cody Stamann. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit western shores, that fight fell through.
Barcelos (15-1) has been waiting ever since. He chalks that up to the global situation. “It is what it is,” he said during a virtual media day this week. Luckily, a spot opened up at UFC Vegas 13 when Jack Shore dropped out of his fight with Khalid Taha. Barcelos was the man to step up.
“It’s a really tough fight, he’s a really tough guy,” Barcelos said of the match-up. “It’s going to be a great fight.”
Beyond that, Barcelos hopes to show “how aggressive I am. I’m going to show everyone, the Brazilian people, that I can be among the top ten.” The bantamweight also noted that while it’s his fifth UFC fight, it’s his first time on the main card. Giving him a chance to show UFC President Dana White that he belongs with the best.
Having previously fought at featherweight, Barcelos said he sees advantages of dropping to 135lbs, where’s he competed since 2018. “I think my wrestling and my grappling get a long stronger at 135.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 13 virtual media day press scrum with Raoni Barcelos above. The card takes place Saturday, November 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
