On Saturday, Jan. 14, Mike Massenzio (13-5) will enter the Octagon at UFC 142 to take on arguably the toughest opponent of his mixed martial arts career in Rousimar Palhares. UFC 142 will take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil beginning at 7:00 p.m. PT and 10:00 p.m. ET.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Garrett Derr, Massenzio discussed his upcoming bout with Palhares and the opportunity to fight in Brazil. As Massenzio counts down the hours until the biggest fight of his life, he is often reminded of how he got to where he is today.
I’ve wrestled my whole life and was always a huge fan of mixed martial arts. It was definitely something I thought about and wanted to do after college. So in 2005, I made my MMA debut. Right then and there, I knew if I wanted to be the best, I would have to dedicate my whole life to this, and that’s exactly what I did.
Massenzio’s dedication paid off in his most recent bout where he defeated Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision at UFC 136. Not only did Massenzio’s win over Cantwell get his career back on track, but it allowed him to get back to being the fighter he once was.
The Cantwell win was big for me. He’s a tough guy and a world class athlete, so I knew in order to beat him, I was going to have to put on a great performance.
In 2008, I had some serious injuries, so it was difficult there for a while, but I never gave up. I just kept telling myself to keep moving forward, and in the Cantwell fight, I felt like I found my groove again.
While Massenzio is certainly excited to have captured his first win inside the Octagon since Sept. 2008, his main focus is on Palhares.
“Fighting Palhares is a great opportunity for me. He’s very well-rounded and a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt,” Massenzio said.
When action begins on Jan. 14, Massenzio will attempt to live up to his nickname of “The Master of Disaster,” but in a controlled way, as he is well aware of Palhares’ strengths.
My plan is to make him fight my way and not get caught up playing into his game. My goal is to keep the pressure coming the whole fight. I feel anywhere the fight goes, I will be ready. This is the biggest test of my life, and I’m looking forward to it.
Not only is Massenzio looking forward to his middleweight showdown with Palhares, but the challenge of fighting in his opponent’s home country as well.
I love challenges, and fighting him in Brazil is a big test. However, the moment I walk out that tunnel, I’ll be focused. I’ll act like the place is empty whether they’re booing me or cheering. My mind will only be on Palhares. We both will be ready, and I expect the best Palhares that night.
While Massenzio will certainly be up against the odds when he travels to Palhare’s home country of Brazil, he won’t be the only one.
In the main event of the evening at UFC 142, Chad Mendes will be fighting for a chance at the featherweight title. In order to capture his desired dream of UFC gold, Mendes will have to defeat Jose Aldo, who will also be fighting in front of his hometown fans.
Massenzio weighed in on how he thinks the championship bout will unfold.
That’s a tough fight to call. Aldo is such an explosive and technical fighter, but so is Mendes. Mendes is also a great wrestler. It’s definitely going to be a war. But, I’m going to have to go with Mendes on this one. I just think his wrestling will be too much for Aldo to handle when all is said and done.
Massenzio isn’t concerned with what the future may hold, as he is focused on living with no regrets and taking one fight at a time.
My ultimate goal is to be the best I can be, and my dream is to be the UFC middleweight champion. But right now, it’s one fight at a time, and Palhares is standing in my way. That’s all I’m concerned with right now.
When that day comes that Massenzio steps away from the sport he’s dedicated his life to, he wants to look back and know he gave every ounce of effort he had.
At the end of it all, I want to know I gave it my all in this sport. I want to know that I did everything I possibly could to reach my goals.
I want to be remembered for living with no regrets.
To learn more about Mike Massenzio, follow him on Twitter.
For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.
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