Ibo Aslam had an overwhelming victory over Rafael Cerqueira in UFC 308 / UFC Reproduction
It seems that the overwhelming victory against Rafael Cerqueira last Saturday (26) in UFC 308 went up his head Ibo Aslan. The Turk needed just 51 seconds to finish off the Brazilian, who was making his debut in the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg) for the organization on the preliminary card of the event. Aslan took advantage of an opening after a poorly placed kick from Rafael to deliver a hail of punches. Cornered against the fence, the debutant was unable to do anything and the referee ended the fight, giving the victory to 'The Last Ottoman' by technical knockout.
The victory gave Aslan more confidence to target a well-known name: none other than Alex Poatán, current champion of the category. At least that's what the Turk said at the press conference after the UFC 308. Declaring himself a 'rising star', he showed interest in measuring his strength against the Brazilian.
“The UFC already knows that I am the future rising star. This is just the beginning. I don’t want to rush. Every opponent, everything has its time and step, step, step – so become champion. (Alex Poatán) is a great champion. I like him. I wish him all the best. I don't know (if I hit harder than him). I don't know. We have to see that in the octagon,” said Aslan.
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The fight against Rafael Cerqueira gave Aslan his second knockout victory in two UFC fights. But the number becomes impressive when you look at the fighter's MMA career: 14 wins, all by knockout. The Last Ottoman also took the opportunity to brag about his victory in Abu Dhabi.
“As always, I enter the cage, take my opponent down and leave. This is, for me, something normal – not special. I am ready (to fight often). I have no injuries, nothing. I don’t feel like I fought tonight. My warm-up was longer than my fight. Tomorrow I will rest, and on Monday I will start again with training,” he added.
Mother was an extra motivation
At the press conference, Aslan also spoke about his family coming to the Etihad Arena to watch him fight. The Turkish athlete said his mother's presence was the main strength inside the octagon.
“I was in camp for three months. I didn’t see my family. As soon as my mom (arrived at the airport), she hugged me. She gave me energy. She gave me motivation. If there was a bull in front of me, I would knock it down. It doesn’t matter to me. My mom came to see me fight for the first time in 10 years. She was very motivated, so I was very confident,” he concluded.
Turkish rookie wants to test his strength against the champion Alex Poatán. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @pliniocruzmma
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