Alex Oliveira believes he can finish Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 254

Alex “The Cowboy” Oliveira is fresh off victories over Peter Sobotta and Max Griffin. The 32-year old Brazilian will be looking forward to continuing the rich vein of form he is in, when he takes on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 254, tomorrow. Shavkat, on the other hand is making his UFC debut, having previously fought in M-1 Challenge and KZMMAF – Battle of Nomads. He is 12-0 in his professional career and Oliveira will be well aware of the fact that he won’t be having it easy against the Kazakh.

Oliveira who took the fight on short notice, after Rakhmonov’s original opponent Elizeu Zalaski pulled out; sat to talk with Combate in an interview. He spoke about climbing up the rankings in the welterweight division and starting 2021 with a bang.

“I’ll win by knockout and ask for someone in the top 15” – Oliveira

Speaking of his future fight plans, Oliveira was quoted as saying, “It means a lot to me to finish the year with three blessings. I want to start 2021 fighting a top 15 name. I’ll win by knockout and ask for someone in the top 15. I don’t want anyone behind me. I want to face the guys ahead of me. My parents taught me to take things slowly, so that’s how I’ll get to the top. I’m fighting an undefeated guy now. I think this fight is already good enough to show I have the potential to be back in the top 15. If I don’t go straight to the rankings, then I’ll fight someone ranked next.”

Speaking of his undefeated opponent at UFC 254, Oliveira said, “I watched his fights,” Oliveira said. “He’s a knockout artist, a good striker. A really tough guy. He’s big, but he’s not two. I also noticed some holes in his game, which I’ll expose in the fight. I’ll show the world he hasn’t faced a really tough guy yet. This will be his first time and I’ll put a loss on his record. I’m much faster and much stronger than him. He only faced low-level guys. I’m high-level. I’ve been working for the best promotion in the world for years. I’ve fought and defeated guys much tougher than him. Victory will be mine, for sure.”

Also Read: Oliveira blasts Khamzat Chimaev ahead of his fight!