Marcos Rogerio de Lima has a name in mind to call out after his UFC Vegas 72 clash with Waldo Cortes-Acosta this Saturday, and he promises fans won’t be disappointed.
De Lima is slated to face the undefeated Cortes-Acosta in Las Vegas and plans to get another winning streak going following a quick rear-naked choke of Andrei Arlovski this past October. Then, he’ll call out two-time UFC title challenger Derrick Lewis for later this year.
“Derrick Lewis is a fight that everybody would like to watch and would please the fans,” de Lima this week on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca. “It would be great for the UFC and myself. I see a new generation of heavyweights coming, and older fighters will boost us to the top.
“Stylistically speaking, it’s a good fight, the fight everybody expected in Derrick Lewis and [Francis] Ngannou. They thought it would explode the octagon and it ended up being that embarrassing fight, but I’m sure Derrick Lewis and I would explode the octagon for real.”
De Lima said he’s confident that “doing my job well” and beating Cortes-Acosta in impressive fashion will earn him a spot in the top 15 and a date with Lewis next.
Lewis has headlined in six of his past seven UFC bouts, going 3-4 over that stretch. He was stopped in his past three by Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich, and Serghei Spivac.
“I’m finding my spot in this division,” de Lima said. “Stronger and faster. I don’t have a game plan for a fight, I’m a complete guy. I have good takedowns, good striking, good jiu-jitsu. I had some flaws on the ground but I’m fixing all that in training with Marcus ‘Buchecha.’
“I know I’ll be ready to fight [Cortes-Acosta]. My strategy is to be as fast and violent as possible in every aspect. If I have the opportunity to finish it in the first round, to knock him out in the first round or the last round, that’s it.
“I’m going to spend energy in there. There are things we can’t control, like what our opponent is going to do, but I don’t worry about that he will do or how much he can take. I’m there to give my best. If he makes a mistake, it’s over in the first second. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Cortes-Acosta is unbeaten in nine appearances as professional MMA fighter, winning the LFA heavyweight title before joining the UFC through the promotion’s Contender Series. He won both his UFC contests via decision against Jared Vanderaa and Chase Sherman.
“He’s a boxer but I see many openings in his grappling, and even in his stand-up,” de Lima said. “He walks forward to trade, so that’s a good matchup for me. I’m explosive and I love to kick legs, and he doesn’t defend kicks. My boxing is sharp. If he makes a mistake, my hands will land and he’s going down.”
