Philipe Nover Thinks Renan Barao Will Have Trouble Against Featherweights

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Philipe Nover (11-6-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC) spoke about Renan Barao’s move to the featherweight division and if he thinks it will go over well. Nover will fight Barao (33-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 95. Here are highlights:

On accepting the fight: “I thought about it for a few seconds, and it was like, ‘Dude, this is huge’. This is the biggest opportunity. Right now, I’ve been fighting for 13 years, dedicating my life to this sport, and this is the fight I really need in my career. I’m trying to move up the ranks and get into the top-5 or top-10 of the UFC. To be facing a former world champion, that could really give me some proving ground that I belong up there.”

On their size difference: “I’ve seen him in the hotel here. He doesn’t seem like a full 145. I know what made him come up to 145 pounds was taking a couple losses to T.J. He was hoping his speed would allow him to capitalize. It’s hard to move around with guys who cut a lot of weight. Jeremy Stephens cuts a bit of weight. I think I cut maybe even more than him, but size-wise, it’s going to be hard for him to hang with some big 145-pound fighters.”