Raphael Assunção

With 14 victories in 15 fights, Raphael Assunção is walking to the tops of the featherweight division at WEC. Set to fight Urijah Faber at January 10, the Brazilian talked to TATAME.com about the fight against the former champion, once considered one of the best pound for pound fighters of the world. In the interview, Raphael talked about his trainings, the expectation to the combat, the next title fight between Mike Brown and José Aldo, and the possibility to go to the lightweight division in the UFC.

How are the trainings to get back to the octagon?

The training is already starting, stronger and more professional than never.

Where are you training? Who are your train partners?

For now, I’m training here in Atlanta with my brothers Junior and Freddy, Jucão, the brothers Douglas and Diego Lima, but maybe I’ll go to a new camp... We’ll still decide that.

You’ll fight with Faber, a former champion of the category, who was considered one of the best pound for pound of the world. What’s the expectation for the combat?

The expectation is always positive, he’s good in everything, with a good arsenal, but I’ll press a good rhythm of threats attacks, with a lot of gas, and we’ll see how the fight will flow. I’ll go for it on my next fight... My next fight will be explosive, and I expect to represent Brazil and my family of the best way with my skills.

Do you think that he will be your tough opponent until now?

Maybe he’s the toughest opponent that I ever faced until then... He has a good game, but I think that I fought athletes stronger than him, with a jiu-jitsu better than his... I fought with athletes with better muay thai and boxing than his, but what makes him dangerous is how he conquest his techniques. The strategy will be to explore his mistakes and openings.

Brazil is growing on this weight, with you and José Aldo. How do you see it?

Yeah, Brazil is growing on this category... José Aldo’s campaign is very good. I’m facing and beating high level athletes, on different styles, but thank God we’re on top of this category.

He’ll fight for the title with Mike Brown. How do you think this fight is gonna be? What’s your bet?

I don’t know what’s my bet... The fight for the belt will be tough, as everybody knows. Now I think that if both are 100% prepared and focused it will be fifty fifty.

Another Brazilian who was good in this category is Wagnney Fabiano, who lost recently. Did his defeat surprise you? Do you think that he should change to a weight below?

It surely surprised me. I think that Wagnney is okay for this weight, but he must decide if he should change or not.

What are your plans for the future? Do you think about going to the lightweight division in the UFC?

Go to 155 pounds on UFC is definitely not in my plans, because of my body and my physical structure. Usually, my weight is 158 pounds. I already fought with 155 at the beginning of my career, because we rarely had fights at until 145 pounds at the time, and when we had, the purse was very low. This fights were against very good athletes, tough and strong, bigger than me, but thanks God I could win these battles.