Female flyweight Viviane Araujo says she has a surprise in store for Mortal Kombat loving Roxanne Modafferi at UFC Fight Island 8.
It seems female flyweight Roxanne Modafferi will have to be extra cautious ahead of her bout against Viviane Araujo at UFC Fight Island 8.
In an interview with Ag Fight, the Brazilian hinted at having some hidden techniques that she plans to use in order to surprise ‘Roxy’ in their fight. After watching some tape on her opponent, ‘Vivi’ believes she can exploit some flaws in Modafferi’s game. Especially on the ground, where Araujo believes Roxanne will not expect her to be comfortable.
“Roxanne is a very experienced fighter, but we had time to study her gameplan. I’ve seen some gaps in her stand-up and in her ground game. We expect a tough fight. She’s very tough. I’ll use my aggression to frustrate her, both in the striking and on the mat.”
“A lot of people don’t know my ground game and I’ve been dying to show it” Vivi continued. “I think she’ll try to take me to the ground and will be surprised with my ground game. She likes to clinch against the cage, but we’re ready for that and always be one step ahead. She’s a bit slow and I’m more explosive. My speed is my strong suit. That’s going to frustrate her and tire her out.”
Furthermore, Araujo joked about planning to do a ‘Fatality’ on Roxanne. The claim refers to the time Modafferi cosplayed as Kitana, a famous character in the video-game franchise Mortal Kombat.
“I thought it was really funny. She’s a very fun person. We each have our ways to entertain the fans. I’ll have a ‘Fatality’ prepared for her.”
In her last outing, Viviane Araujo (9-2) scored a unanimous decision win over Montana De La Rosa, back in September 2020. Before that, the 34-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to Jessica Eye, in December 2019.
Now, Viviane Araujo is expected to take on Roxanne Modafferi at UFC Fight Island 8, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on January 20. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a welterweight bout between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny.