Brunno Ferreira: Ever the Opportunist

Brunno Ferreira sounds like someone who waits by his phone.

The undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship newcomer will fill in for an injured Brad Tavares on short notice when he tackles former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Gregory Rodrigues in a UFC 283 middleweight prelim on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. While some might view the circumstances surrounding their encounter as less than ideal, Ferreira relishes the chance to show off his skills to a wider audience.

“I’m feeling positive,” he told Sherdog.com. “I love last-minute bookings. I’m an opportunist. At the same time, I have a strong faith in God. I feel predestined. When this opportunity came up, I grabbed it with both hands. I feel like the UFC will be looking at me with different eyes after this fight.”

Ferreira punched his ticket to the UFC with a 95-second technical knockout of Leon Aliu on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. The victory moved him to 9-0 with nine finishes, seven of them inside one round, and set the stage for his Octagon debut.

“What I’ll show in the UFC is much more than anyone saw on the contender series,” Ferreira said. “I’m 100% an athlete. I don’t drink or use drugs. I’m 100% dedicated to family. I’m very faithful. I’ve gone through situations that shaped who I am today. I have the strength, mindset, weapons, agility and intelligence for combat.”

Rodrigues figures to be a difficult first assignment. The Kill Cliff Fight Club export has rattled off six wins across his past seven outings and enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories. Rodrigues, 30, last competed at UFC Fight Night 210, where he put away Chidi Njokuani with punches in the second round of their Sept. 17 pairing.

“Gregory is strong and tall, but we’ve seen some holes in his game,” Ferreira said. “MMA today is a very intelligent game. We must be ready in every area. We’re both aggressive and strong. I’m not afraid to strike with him, but I won’t take silly risks. It will be violence with intelligence. He has his story. I have mine. I feel he’s never faced anyone like me. I’m a complete MMA fighter. We can be on the ground, on the feet, against the cage, exchanging face punches—anything. We’re ready for war. It’s going to be a great fight for both of us.”

Tavares’ loss could turn into Ferreira’s gain.

“I saw that Gregory had lost his opponent, and my manager suggested submitting my name as a replacement,” he said. “I said I was ready, regardless of who I may be facing.”

As has been his custom, Ferreira prepared for his showdown with Rodrigues at Evolucao Thai, where he trains under Andre Amado and Daniel Acacio.

“Our team is never lacking in human material, from the heaviest to the lightest,” Ferreira said. “I like to say that I never have training camps. I’m putting in the work daily: judo, jiu-jitsu [and] MMA. My routine doesn’t change much. I’m always training at about 70%. That’s because [Amado] lets us know that opportunities will appear when we least expect them. You have to be always ready for whenever that happens. With that in mind, I [had] already started training harder for my UFC debut even before the contract was signed.”