Jussier Formiga Discusses UFC 229 Bout

MMAjunkie recently interviewed UFC flyweight fighter Jussier Formiga ahead of his bout with Sergio Pettis, which is set for later today at UFC 229. Below are some highlights.

Jussier Formiga on his recent fights: “Throughout my career I’ve been facing top fighters. This proves my potential within this weight class. It shows that I’m also one of the best. I already fought the current champion, Cejudo, in 2015. We fought in Mexico and the result was a split decision in his favor. But since 2015, he’s evolved. And so have I – a lot. I’m coming off two great submission wins, against Yuta Sasaki on his home turf of Japan, and against Ben Nguyen on his home turf of Australia. This shows my work and how focused I am. Without a doubt, this will bring be toward a title shot.”

Formiga’s thoughts on Sergio Pettis: “He’s been showing his worth in our division. He’s a dangerous fighter. But all of us in the UFC are going after the same objective – to be champion. He does his work, and I do mine, but unfortunately only one of us will be victorious. I think I can beat him in various ways. He is indeed dangerous on the feet but I am been working on and further improving my striking. I’ve been training at ATT in Florida. I have great coaches and trainers. My goal is to beat Sergio Pettis so I can have my title shot.”

Formiga on his training camp: “I’ve been living in Florida, training at ATT. I have a lot of great coaches. Anderson Franca (França) is my muay Thai coach. Marcos ‘Parrumpinha’ da Matta is my jiu-jitsu coach. And I have several sparring partners like Alexandre Pantoja, Eric Shelton, and Adriano Moraes. I have a lot of great support.”

His final thoughts ahead of the fight: “I have no doubt that the winner of this next fight earns the title shot. Sergio Pettis is one of the best in our weight class. He has a win over Joseph Benavidez, who was the top-2 ranked fighter. I’m ranked as the top-5 fighter. So I am confident that whoever wins will get to face Cejudo next.”