Co-headlining Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 57 in Austin, Texas, Barboza told MMAFighting.com he has 100 percent of his focus on “King,” but still eyes another fight with “Cowboy” next.
“Of course. If the UFC offers this fight, I will take it,” Barboza said of Cerrone, who finished him with a rear-naked choke in April, “but my focus is on Green now.”
At 8-2 under the UFC banner, Barboza wants to get closer to a shot at the lightweight championship, and beating the No. 7 in the world, who is unbeaten in the Octagon after UFC fights, will likely put him in the top 10 of the 155-pound division.
“Every fight is important,” Barboza said. “It doesn’t matter where in the rankings my opponent is. I want to get the title, that’s the focus. Like I always say, I’m focused on my game and my strategy to beat him. I expect a war.”
Barboza trained in three different gyms for his UFN 57 co-main event bout, and that brings extra confidence.
“My camp was great,” he said. “I started my camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, because I live there and also have a gym in Palm Beach Gardens, Valor. The other half of my camp was in New Jersey with my coaches Mark Henry, Ricardo Almeida, Anderson Franca and the whole team.
“I’m always confident, no matter how my last fight went. I believe confidence comes from hard training, and I always have that.”
Co-headlining Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 57 in Austin, Texas, Barboza told MMAFighting.com he has 100 percent of his focus on “King,” but still eyes another fight with “Cowboy” next.
“Of course. If the UFC offers this fight, I will take it,” Barboza said of Cerrone, who finished him with a rear-naked choke in April, “but my focus is on Green now.”
At 8-2 under the UFC banner, Barboza wants to get closer to a shot at the lightweight championship, and beating the No. 7 in the world, who is unbeaten in the Octagon after UFC fights, will likely put him in the top 10 of the 155-pound division.
“Every fight is important,” Barboza said. “It doesn’t matter where in the rankings my opponent is. I want to get the title, that’s the focus. Like I always say, I’m focused on my game and my strategy to beat him. I expect a war.”
Barboza trained in three different gyms for his UFN 57 co-main event bout, and that brings extra confidence.
“My camp was great,” he said. “I started my camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, because I live there and also have a gym in Palm Beach Gardens, Valor. The other half of my camp was in New Jersey with my coaches Mark Henry, Ricardo Almeida, Anderson Franca and the whole team.
“I’m always confident, no matter how my last fight went. I believe confidence comes from hard training, and I always have that.”
