You can’t argue with his formula for success. Since the lifestyle change, Fialho has finished all six of his wins by first- or second-round KO, making him a must-watch welterweight in UAE Warriors and eventually the UFC. His lone setback over that stretch was his short-notice UFC debut, a rare trip to the scorecards versus the dangerous Michel Pereira. Despite the loss, Fialho impressed under the bright lights, garnering a standing ovation from the UFC 270 crowd in Anaheim.
Saturday’s bow on the UFC 275 prelims will mark his third pay-per-view appearance in four UFC bouts, a testament to his crowd-pleasing abilities on the biggest of stages. Still, Fialho expresses doubt that his dance partner this time, veteran Jake Matthews, will match his own explosiveness.
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“My coach was saying he’s probably the best opponent I’ve got [so far in UFC], but I believe Miguel Baeza was better…faster, quicker, sharper,” he says, referencing his April 22 bout in Las Vegas. “Great striker, amazing grappler.”
This time, 28-year-old feels the burden of putting on a show rests with him.
“I just believe Jake holds onto people. I don’t like that style of fighting. I don’t believe he can do that against me. It’s very hard to hold onto me like that. But we’ll see.”
