“I’ve been working on my head movement and my defense, because sometimes I worry too much about the attack and what I’m gonna do [or] I’m too confident. I’m not that patient sometimes and I need to conquer that.”
Conquering those intrusive thoughts started by listening to advice from his coaches at Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Overcome with pride and confidence at the start of his UFC career, Fialho has taken a back step, and allowed his team to build a gameplan for his opponent that steers him on the best path to victory.
LISTEN: UFC Unfiltered Podcast Featuring Andre Fialho And Jack Della Maddalena
“I gotta win, no matter what,” Filaho said. “This is martial arts. I can’t be prideful. Even in the beginning of this camp, my coaches and everyone was telling me I should follow [a specific] gameplan. They tell me he’s explosive and dangerous in the beginning, but in my mind, I was like, “I’m more explosive and dangerous,” but I can’t always be like that. I need to be smart and win the fight, no matter what.”
Unlike Fialho, Salikhov takes a similar approach to that of the old Fialho, focusing on how he can improve en route to being a complete fighter, rather than preparing to fight a certain way in anticipation for what Fialho might bring come Saturday night.
