Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil, and he will meet the other original finalist of the show, on Nov. 9 in Goiania, Brazil.
“Mutante” earned his spot in the TUF: Brazil 1 final after finishing all three opponents he faced in the reality show. Daniel Sarafian, also a member of Vitor Belfort’s team on the show, advanced to the final with three wins, but an injury forced him out of the battle with Ferreira.
Ferreira defeated Sergio Moraes to become the first TUF winner in Brazil, but the fans always expected him to fight Safarian inside the Octagon. They will finally meet at UFC Fight Night 32, but Ferreira doesn’t feel he needs to defeat the original finalist to prove he deserved to win the season.
“I’ve already fought the final and won the show,” Ferreira told MMAFighting.com. “TUF is already in the past. If the fans want to see a fight, they will get a fight.”
Training with Vitor Belfort at the Blackzilians team in Miami, Ferreira praises his former teammate at TUF: Brazil, but doesn’t believe he has to worry about his opponent’s abilities.
“I think Sarafian is a strong and complete fighter, but I’m worried about what I can do to get better fighter coming into this fight,” he said. “He needs to worry about me, not the opposite.
“My focus is get to the Top 10 and I will,” he continued. “My goal is to become the champion one day, no matter how long it takes and who I have to beat to get there. I will become the champion one day.”
Ferreira battled some injuries after his victory over Sergio Moraes at UFC 147, and he finally returned to the Octagon last August, tapping TUF: Brazil 2 alum Thiago Santos in 27 seconds at UFC 163.
Ferreira, whose nickname “Mutante” means mutant in Portuguese, promises to fight even better now.
“I’m another fighter today,” said the middleweight. “If you’re going to fight me you shouldn’t study my last fights because you’re fighting a whole new ‘Mutante’. I’ll honor my nickname.
“Sarafian and I are both professionals, we are here to work,” he continued. “I had a good relationship with him at the house but we’re going to work now. He’s my friend and my opponent, and I’ll do to him what I do to all my opponents. I will go there to finish him.”