Kevin Souza calls out Ricardo Lamas, Cub Swanson for UFC 191 fight

Kevin Souza is flying under the radar in the featherweight division, and he wants to change that.

With a 3-0 record in the UFC, including a pair of knockout finishes over Katsunori Kikuno and Mark Eddiva, the Brazilian fighter will change his approach to the game for his next fight, which could take place at UFC 191.

“I expect to fight in September. If everything goes right, I will fight on Sept. 5 in Las Vegas,” Souza told MMAFighting.com. “I don’t have anything signed yet, but that’s the plan. My manager Wallid Ismail told me to train for this date, so that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Inspired by Conor McGregor’s rise in the division, Souza wants to promote himself better.

“The UFC is a show. Being a good fighter is not enough, you have to sell, and I’m reinventing myself,” Souza said. “I won’t be just a great fighter, but I’m also going to be different than what I usually am. It’s a business, so let’s work.

“If you talk more, you get more attention and make more money. If you don’t talk that much, you make less money,” he continued. “McGregor entered the UFC two years ago and sold more than Jose Aldo in seven title defenses. That’s the show. You have to sell well.”

When asked by the media who they want to fight next, Brazilian fighters usually say “I’m an employee and I will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me”. Souza won’t be one of those fighters from now on.

“Fighters usually think they are employees, but it’s the complete opposite,” he said. “The UFC works for us, but the UFC works more for those who sell more, who get more attention. We tend to think they are our bosses, but the UFC depends on us to survive.

“Imagine if every athlete is passive and don’t say anything interesting? Would fans care about it? How would the matchmaker book interesting fights if there was no interest?”

Souza will move to the United States to finish his next camp at American Top Team, and he wants it to be against a top contender in the 145-pound division.

“Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson are top fighters and I would love to have an opportunity against them,” he said. “I want to fight one of them. It would be perfect. They like to fight, they don’t go in there to lay and pray, and that’s the style of fighting I like to fight. Beating any of those two, I would enter the top 5 or 10 of the division, no doubt about it.”

The featherweight belt will be on the line in December or January, when interim champion Conor McGregor faces featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo for the undisputed title. Souza isn’t sure who to pick in that title unification bout, but warns Aldo to take his opponent seriously.

“I’ve analyzed Conor’s recent fights, and he’s an excellent fighter,” Souza said. “I believe Aldo will have to be at his best, physically and technically, for this title defense, because Conor is coming mentally and technically strong.

“I want to win one or two fights to get between them,” he continued. “I want to win in September, and fight again in December, to go 5-0 in the UFC and start 2016 closer to the title. I don’t care who the champion is, I want to fight him soon.”

Kevin Souza is flying under the radar in the featherweight division, and he wants to change that.

With a 3-0 record in the UFC, including a pair of knockout finishes over Katsunori Kikuno and Mark Eddiva, the Brazilian fighter will change his approach to the game for his next fight, which could take place at UFC 191.

“I expect to fight in September. If everything goes right, I will fight on Sept. 5 in Las Vegas,” Souza told MMAFighting.com. “I don’t have anything signed yet, but that’s the plan. My manager Wallid Ismail told me to train for this date, so that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Inspired by Conor McGregor’s rise in the division, Souza wants to promote himself better.

“The UFC is a show. Being a good fighter is not enough, you have to sell, and I’m reinventing myself,” Souza said. “I won’t be just a great fighter, but I’m also going to be different than what I usually am. It’s a business, so let’s work.

“If you talk more, you get more attention and make more money. If you don’t talk that much, you make less money,” he continued. “McGregor entered the UFC two years ago and sold more than Jose Aldo in seven title defenses. That’s the show. You have to sell well.”

When asked by the media who they want to fight next, Brazilian fighters usually say “I’m an employee and I will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me”. Souza won’t be one of those fighters from now on.

“Fighters usually think they are employees, but it’s the complete opposite,” he said. “The UFC works for us, but the UFC works more for those who sell more, who get more attention. We tend to think they are our bosses, but the UFC depends on us to survive.

“Imagine if every athlete is passive and don’t say anything interesting? Would fans care about it? How would the matchmaker book interesting fights if there was no interest?”

Souza will move to the United States to finish his next camp at American Top Team, and he wants it to be against a top contender in the 145-pound division.

“Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson are top fighters and I would love to have an opportunity against them,” he said. “I want to fight one of them. It would be perfect. They like to fight, they don’t go in there to lay and pray, and that’s the style of fighting I like to fight. Beating any of those two, I would enter the top 5 or 10 of the division, no doubt about it.”

The featherweight belt will be on the line in December or January, when interim champion Conor McGregor faces featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo for the undisputed title. Souza isn’t sure who to pick in that title unification bout, but warns Aldo to take his opponent seriously.

“I’ve analyzed Conor’s recent fights, and he’s an excellent fighter,” Souza said. “I believe Aldo will have to be at his best, physically and technically, for this title defense, because Conor is coming mentally and technically strong.

“I want to win one or two fights to get between them,” he continued. “I want to win in September, and fight again in December, to go 5-0 in the UFC and start 2016 closer to the title. I don’t care who the champion is, I want to fight him soon.”