Brunno Ferreira, the fighter, has a simple approach to adversity. It’s about getting back up, dusting off, and returning to the grind in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight division.
At 31, Ferreira is a representative of Evolucao Thai. He’s preparing to bounce back from his first professional defeat. His next opponent is Phil Hawes. They’re set to face off in a featured UFC Fight Night 234 event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Ferreira steps into the cage with a 10-1 record. His only defeat? A 77-second knockout loss to Nursulton Ruziboev, which took place just over six months ago.
“We studied him and went to war, but I committed a fatal error,” Ferreira admits. He deviated from the strategy, threw a low kick, and got caught. His opponent capitalized on the mistake with a cross and finished with ground-and-pound. “It was bad. No one likes to lose, but I used that loss as a great learning experience. I wasn’t depressed. I only took a few days to rest. I came back to training immediately thereafter.”
The setback was painful, but it offered Ferreira a fresh perspective. “Now I’m complete since I’ve gone through everything in MMA,” he muses. He’s knocked people out and been knocked out himself. “Nothing else will seem new to me. I grew from that loss. It’s part of our game of MMA. I came back stronger. The fire, the hunger to be champion, is even stronger now.”
Soon, we’ll see if Ferreira can translate his words into action. His opponent, Hawes, is talented but has his flaws. He’s coming off two consecutive losses and last appeared at UFC 288, where he succumbed to punches from Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. Hawes, 35, has never lost three fights in a row.
“The pressure is on him,” Ferreira points out. He’s confident in his skills as a complete athlete and a black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “Against him, I’m focused on letting my game go. One thing I noticed about him is the fact that he can’t absorb strikes anymore. In his last couple of fights, it only took one or two strikes to finish him. People are calling him ‘glass jaw,’ and his fights show that.”
Ferreira sees a golden opportunity in the current 185-pound weight class. He can envision himself climbing into the Top 15 sooner rather than later. But first, he must secure his position on the roster.
“I wish to open up this year with a golden key,” Ferreira says. “I want to put on a show, so I can look forward to a great contract renewal with the UFC. It’s not by accident that I’m 10-1. Little by little, I’ll continue to make my name in the organization. My ultimate goal is the championship. My one loss didn’t take my focus away from that objective.”