Gabriel Gonzaga aims to start another run towards heavyweight title at UFC on FOX 13

Gabriel Gonzaga underwent a pair of surgeries for a broken right hand following his last UFC bout, and he’s finally ready to get back inside the Octagon.

The Brazilian heavyweight, who hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in January, is set to meet Matt Mitrione on the main card of Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix, and is feeling “great” after an 11-month layoff.

“My recovery was great. I had two surgeries and my hand is 100 percent,” Gonzaga told MMAFighting.com. “I trained hard for this fight. I did everything the doctor told me to do, and I had no problems getting back at 100 percent.”

Mitrione enters the bout fresh off back-to-back first-round TKO victories over Shawn Jordan and Derrick Lewis, and the longtime UFC veteran is ready for everything he brings.

“He’s fast, heavy and athletic, but I’m more than ready. I trained hard for him,” “Napao” said. “I try not to guess what my opponent is going to do in the fight, so I try to be ready in every area. I believe he will prefer to stand with me, but I have to be ready for everything. It’s hard to predict a fight at this level of competition, when you’re fighting anyone at the top 20, but I’ve been fighting this game since 2005.”

Gonzaga has gone the distance only twice in his 24-fight career, and he doesn’t intend to battle Mitrione for three rounds.

“I trained hard to go there and finish the fight,” he said.

At 4-2 since returning to the UFC in 2012, Gonzaga hopes to get back among the very best in the heavyweight division with a win on Saturday night. The Brazilian veteran, who fought for the UFC gold in 2007 against then-champion Randy Couture after scoring one of the best knockouts in the history of the UFC against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, feels he’s capable of starting a new run towards the heavyweight championship.

“I believe that this win will put me back at the top 10,” Gonzaga said. “I still have a few more years in me, and I’m training to earn another shot at the UFC title.”

Gabriel Gonzaga underwent a pair of surgeries for a broken right hand following his last UFC bout, and he’s finally ready to get back inside the Octagon.

The Brazilian heavyweight, who hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in January, is set to meet Matt Mitrione on the main card of Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 13 in Phoenix, and is feeling “great” after an 11-month layoff.

“My recovery was great. I had two surgeries and my hand is 100 percent,” Gonzaga told MMAFighting.com. “I trained hard for this fight. I did everything the doctor told me to do, and I had no problems getting back at 100 percent.”

Mitrione enters the bout fresh off back-to-back first-round TKO victories over Shawn Jordan and Derrick Lewis, and the longtime UFC veteran is ready for everything he brings.

“He’s fast, heavy and athletic, but I’m more than ready. I trained hard for him,” “Napao” said. “I try not to guess what my opponent is going to do in the fight, so I try to be ready in every area. I believe he will prefer to stand with me, but I have to be ready for everything. It’s hard to predict a fight at this level of competition, when you’re fighting anyone at the top 20, but I’ve been fighting this game since 2005.”

Gonzaga has gone the distance only twice in his 24-fight career, and he doesn’t intend to battle Mitrione for three rounds.

“I trained hard to go there and finish the fight,” he said.

At 4-2 since returning to the UFC in 2012, Gonzaga hopes to get back among the very best in the heavyweight division with a win on Saturday night. The Brazilian veteran, who fought for the UFC gold in 2007 against then-champion Randy Couture after scoring one of the best knockouts in the history of the UFC against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, feels he’s capable of starting a new run towards the heavyweight championship.

“I believe that this win will put me back at the top 10,” Gonzaga said. “I still have a few more years in me, and I’m training to earn another shot at the UFC title.”