Funch fighting to remain undefeated. Photo: Publicity
Undefeated in his seven-fight MMA career, Ricardo Funch will make his octagon debut at UFC 107 this Saturday, December 12, in Tennessee. A representative of Team Link, the same as Gabriel Napão, Funch is one of team leader Marco Alvan’s great hopes. Ricardo, otherwise known as “Golden Boy”, will face Johnny Hendricks, another undefeated fighter.
“From the fights I’ve seen of his, he was very dominant and really good. But who isn’t? The UFC is where the best are, so I’m going to give it my all,” says Funch on the official UFC website.
“On facing an undefeated opponent, Ricardo is unworried. Aware of Hendricks’s strengths, he worked hard on his wrestling.
“I’ve fought undefeated guys in the past and I can tell you the pressure doesn’t come from my or his record. The pressure is fighting in the UFC. He has been through something I haven’t been through yet, but I know I’ll do well psychologically. Obviously, I’ve been training more wrestling than I am used to so I can face Johnny, but the rest is the same old routine that got me into the UFC. That means brushing up on my striking and submissions.”
And if confidence is a good start to entering the organization on the right foot, the Bahia native has no lack of it.
“I’ll fight well, because my aim isn’t to just make it to the UFC, but to beat all my opponents and eventually be top 10. Some people say it’s better to debut in a preliminary fight, because there are less people watching. I say I won’t feel the difference between 20 thousand and a million people. To me the pressure’s the same, but I’ll shine,” he says in closing.