Antonio Carlos Junior Says He’s Evolved His Game Ahead of UFC Fight Night 80

MMAjunkie recently interviewed Antonio Carlos Junior ahead of his upcoming UFC Fight Night 80 bout with Kevin Casey. The fight card is set for December 10 at The Chelsea in Las Vegas, Nevada. Below are some highlights.

Carlos Junior on how his career in the UFC started very quickly: “My career has been very quick. When I entered ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3,’ I only had three fights, none against significant opponents. I was still gaining experience. Then I had to fight a really difficult guy to get into the ‘TUF’ house. Once inside, I had to face one opponent tougher than the last, in the heavyweight class. And I was never really a heavyweight. I was even somewhat small for light heavyweight. I always weighed around 210 pounds. Everyone kept telling me that I should drop to middleweight but I didn’t have experience in that, and I was a bit afraid. Thankfully I won ‘TUF’ and gained a lot of experience in the process.”

Carlos Junior on his loss to Patrick Cummins: “Cummins is, no doubt, a very difficult opponent for anyone. There were a few setbacks in that training camp. I couldn’t train for a while due to shoulder and rib injuries. But that’s no excuse. He is really tough. I think some things could have been different in my camp, and during the fight itself. Afterward, I decided to drop down to middleweight. I think it’s perfect for me. I followed the advice of various people, such as coaches Andre Pederneiras and Luiz Dorea. They were right. I also went to American Top Team. I’m more of a professional now.”

Carlos Junior on how he’s developed his game: “I’ve evolved technically, but since I’m new to the sport, I still have far to go. I have a lot of learn. I came up in jiu-jitsu, but I’m still learning about MMA. I have excellent top-level coaches at ATT such as Ricardo Liborio, Marcos ‘Parrumpinha’ da Matta, Ailton Barbosa, Jason Kelly, ‘King Mo’, Steve Mocco and Vitelmo Katel Kubis.”

His thoughts on Kevin Casey: “Casey is a tough guy. He’s very strong. I do see a few holes in his game, but he’s still very tough to beat. He has a jiu-jitsu background, just like I do, but I plan to impose my rhythm against him. He’s well-rounded, but just like Kevin, I too have victories by knockout, submission and decision. I’m training hard for him. Everyone in the UFC is hard to beat. I’ll give my best against him. I’ve been preparing every facet with my coaches, so I can perform at 100 percent. I’m ready to go three hard rounds, if necessary.”

On fighting on the prelims: “This will be my first time fighting on a UFC preliminary card, but I expect to keep winning, and to face opponents in the top-15, and top-10 eventually. I want to grow in the promotion. The quality of my opponents, and the way in which I win will grant me more visibility. After I beat Eddie Gordon, I spoke English in the octagon, for the fans. Likewise, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, I always post in both Portuguese and English. One fight at a time, I wish to win over more American fans.”