Gabriel Gonzaga (16-3) kommer ta sig Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic (30-11-2-1) i helgens UFC-gala som kommer gå av stapeln i Krakow. Det är en rematch där Gonzaga vann via KO i deras första match, men tror att den här matchen kommer att vara annorlunda.
Gonzaga tror att det kommer att bli en annorlunda match den här gången.
“The first fight was eight years ago; think about how much has changed in this sport in eight years,” berättade Gonzaga för MMAjunkie. “Most of the fighters aren’t around anymore. We’ve changed a lot in eight years. I am not the same and he is not the same. It’s going to be a different fight, so I don’t even consider this a rematch. It’s a new fight.”
Enligt Gonzaga gick deras första perfekt.
“It was a perfect fight,” sa Gonzaga. “I didn’t make any mistakes, he made one and I landed the kick. I remember I was young, everything was new and I won.”
Gonzaga tycker att ’Cro Cop’ är en farlig fighter och att han måste fightas smart för att vinna.
“People like to look at the first fight and compare, but he’s not going to win again,” sa Gonzaga. “He’s still a dangerous fighter. He’s got a strong high kick still. He knocked someone out with it in his last fight. He’s still dangerous and a really good fighter. I need to fight smart to win.”
Gonzaga tror inte att den här matchen kommer att sluta som deras första match och han siktar inte på att landa ännu en huvudspark.
“I think that the way it ended cannot be reproduced,” sa Gonzaga. “I’m not trying to land another high kick; I’m trying to win the fight. If I win, it could be standing; it could be on the ground. I’ll be ready to go wherever the fight goes.”
“I definitely need to win this fight,” sa Gonzaga. “I need to have a strong performance. That’s how this sport is. If you don’t win, then you are out. So I need to win this fight.”
“I’m still trying to go toward a title shot. I need to win this fight if I want to do that.”
