LFA featherweight Allan Begosso is back in the cage at LFA 208 on Friday night with one simple goal in mind: dominate, win, and get the call to the UFC.
Begosso (8-3-1) has actually gotten a shot at the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series. He fell short of a contract after losing the bout to Farid Basharat, but getting a taste of the big show has him hungrier than ever.
“After this experience I completely understand why people want to go to UFC. It’s f*cking amazing. There is cameras on top of you, there’s everything you needed, like food,” Begosso told Cageside Press.
“All the (instructors at) the UFC Performance Institute. I’m very grateful for the experience. Unfortunately I got the loss by decision but f*ck it. I can’t complain. Just try moving forward and hopefully I (get to) sign this year.”
It’s been a very long road back to the cage for Begosso, and it had nothing to do with injuries.
In fact, outside of withdrawing from one bout to tend to his sick grandfather in Brazil, most of the inactivity is due to opponents pulling from their fights.
“I don’t even know. Even like wondering if I stop or keep (fighting). Like five fights-in-a-row cancelled. Always some reason. One of these I pulled out because my grandpa was very sick in Brazil and I went there. Grateful he’s ok right now, but that’s the only fight I pulled out,” he said.
“The other four fights, three of these fights was in the fight week, and they just canceled the fight. Always some reason. The first guy he said, ‘I got a bite (from) a dog’. In the fight week. The other guy had a problem in his brain which I get it. It’s not his fault.”
This fight at LFA 208 against Davaajamts Batsuren has a lot more riding on it than just a win. In this 7th bout for LFA Begosso is hoping to show the UFC that he belongs in the promotion, but should they skip on him, he’s not sure he’ll continue fighting.
“To be honest with you, the next step, I told everyone I’m going to do this fight. If UFC sign(s) me I keep going. I love it. If UFC (doesn’t) sign me I’m not going to keep fighting,” he said.
“No pressure at all. I’m turning 30 this year, I’m still young I know that, but UFC already knows me. They know what I can do. I have 7 fights (in) LFA. I feel like I need to start thinking (about) money. My whole life I fought for like no money.”
It’s not that Begosso doesn’t love fighting or enjoy the process that it comes with. Everything that a career in fighting comes with is to achieve greatness, but also be able to provide a good life for your family.
Life-changing money is hard to find in MMA, and the best place to get it is with the biggest promotion in the world.
“The money is (in) UFC. There’s not many shows paying good. When I say good (I mean) to change (your) life. Like UFC does. If it (doesn’t) happen after this fight that’s going to be my 7th fight for LFA. I have two title fights there. I don’t know (what more) they want from me,” he said.
“I just decided to do this one, see what’s going to happen, and if not happen it’s ok. If it happens I’ll be f*cking happy and I keep doing what I do.”
Watch the entire interview with Allan Begosso above. He takes on Davaajamts Batsuren at LFA 208 this Friday night in Santa Cruz, CA.
