Raush Manfio Wants To Be In A Promotion That Lets Him Pay Bills

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Raush Manfio (8-1) said his ultimate goal is to get to a bigger promotion so he has more money to pay his bills. He will fight Matt Frevola (4-0) at Titan FC, which streams on UFC Fight Pass tonight from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Here are highlights:

On his ultimate goal: “If all goes well and I score another impressive victory, I see two possibilities: Either I fight for the Titan belt, or I’ll reach out to larger organizations. The UFC would be best, but ultimately I need money to afford my training camps. Titan has great visibility, but it’s not the best as far as pay. So I’m chasing after some sponsorships to make up the difference. Ultimately, I want to be in a promotion that allows me to pay my bills.”

On using his striking tonight: “While preparing for Matt Frevola, I focused more on my own qualities as opposed to his. We saw that he has a good spinning kick, so we’re working to make sure I’m not caught by surprise. He’s an atypical striker. I expect to win by knockout yet again. I always plan to win my fights early so they never go to the judges. I have sufficient physical, technical and mental qualities to finish all my fights before the end of the third round. I’m confident in my strategy. I want to win by knockout.”

On possibly moving down a weight class: “I think I’m small for a lightweight, but I’m very strong and explosive. I’ll use that to my benefit in this next fight too.”