Rafael Natal Not Worrying About Potential Release Ahead of UFC on FOX 25

Rafael Natal spoke with MMAjunkie ahead of his fight with Eryk Anders at UFC on FOX 25. Highlights are below:

On the potential of being released with a loss: “As far as worrying about being let go by the UFC, we always feel that way. They can release us at any time. So I don’t put that pressure on myself. One of my losses was to Robert Whittaker, who’s now an interim champion in our weight class. I believe I gave him one of his most difficult fights. We were pretty even before he landed good strikes near the end of the rounds. And against Tim Boetsch, he’s a big guy with heavy hands, so that can happen to anyone. He caught me and the fight ended.”

On fighting in New York: “Anders is an American, but New York is my home. The fans know me well here. They know I love it here. I’ve been in New York for a long time. It’s going to be a New Yorker vs. a Texan.”

On his preparation for the fight: “As far as training goes, this is the best moment of my career. I’ve never felt better. I’ve never worked so well with my training partners. My physical conditioning hasn’t been better. So I’m heading into my next fight very well trained, on my way to a great victory. I’ll be back to my winning ways, and ready to start a new streak. I’ve never felt better, so now I just need to bring this into my fight.”