Leandro Silva Says He Has All The Weapons To Beat Rustam Khabilov

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Leandro Silva (19-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) said that he has all the tools he needs to beat Rustam Khabilov (19-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) when they meet at UFC Fight Night 93. The fight happens on Saturday at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. It streams on UFC Fight Pass. Here are highlights:

On his split decision loss to Jason Saggo: “I hadn’t lost in quite some time. It was painful because I never enter into a contest expecting to lose. But everything happens for a reason, even losses. We have to look at them from a different angle. There are always valuable lessons in losses, even more so than in victories. I’m confident that this learning experience helped me climb up to yet another level. I’m training even more, being more aggressive, and improving every facet so I can reach my dreams.”

On if he can beat Khabilov: “He’s also a complete fighter. It will be another tough fight, another great test for me, so I can show my potential. I want to show what I’ve trained, and how far I can go. It will be a great challenge for me. I’m loving it. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m sure I have every chance to be victorious. As I always say, I believe in myself very much. I have faith in my victory. He’s a Russian who likes to strike and go for takedowns. I’ve watched his fights. But I believe I have all the weapons needed to beat him.”

On growing as a person: “I believe everything in life has a purpose and helps us grow,” Silva said. “I didn’t have a positive result in my last fight, but I believe I’ve grown as a fighter and as a human being. Sometimes things happen and we don’t understand why right away. I refuse to take a step backwards after a defeat.”