Raoni Barcelos is heading into UFC Vegas 116 with a clear plan: beat Montel Jackson on April 25 and use it as a springboard toward the bantamweight elite.
Barcelos meets Jackson on the main card at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilian contender has already mapped out what comes next if his hand is raised. He is targeting high-profile clashes with Marlon Vera or Deiveson Figueiredo and sees those names as his path up the rankings.
“I think Deiveson Figueiredo would be a great fight. I respect him and his team a lot — he’s with Pitbull Brothers. Huge respect. But there comes a point in your career, and in what I’m going through, where you have to ask for these kinds of fights because it’s the best way for me to go further,” Barcelos said.
Barcelos, who will turn 39 days after the Jackson fight and says he has already had an eight-year career in the UFC, is pushing hard for that opportunity. “I’ve already had an eight-year career in the UFC so I think it’s my moment now. That’s why Deiveson would be a great fight for me. He’s currently top 7, so I’d go from 13 to 7 if I beat him, which would put me in a very good position.”
On Saturday, though, his focus is on Jackson and a wrestling-heavy approach. “I want to stick to my grappling and wrestling game,” Barcelos said, adding, “My jiu-jitsu is very strong and sharp right now and I plan to use it in the fight.”
