Paulo Borrachinha dismisses Brazilian fans' support for the UFC: 'I don't need Brazil'

Paulo Borrachinha é destaque brasileiro nos médios do UFC. Foto: Reprodução/Instagram ufc_brasil

Parece que o velho Paulo Borrachinha está de volta, e não apenas pelo desempenho dentro do octógono. Conhecido pelo estilo agressivo nas lutas e pelas polêmicas fora delas, o mineiro vinha mostrando uma postura mais contida em suas últimas aparições. No entanto, após a dominant victory sobre Roman Kopylov, voltou a soltar declarações afiadas e não poupou críticas à torcida brasileira.

In an interview with 'Ag Fight,' Borrachinha demonstrated that he doesn't mind criticism from some fans and stated that he doesn't seek to win their support. He believes that negative comments generate more repercussions and generate more social media buzz than praise or encouraging statements.

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"No, I don't! I don't want their support, no. Honestly, you can keep going, because the more hate, the better. In fact, hate moves social media, engagement, and wherever, much more than love," said Borrachinha.

The Minas Gerais native assessed that many personal attacks stem from a feeling of need and the absence of an athlete with whom certain fans identify.

"Actually, I feel sorry for them because it's simply because of a lack of representation. They don't feel like they don't have a representative, or they simply don't have one. It's very complex, isn't it?" the Minas Gerais native continued.

Borrachinha says he doesn't need the support of the Brazilian public in the UFC

Finally, the middleweight (up to 83,9 kg) made it clear that he doesn't depend on the Brazilian public to establish himself in the UFC. In his view, the sport has global reach and doesn't require national support to guarantee results, sales, or relevance. Although he maintains personal and professional ties with Brazil, his focus is on the international scene.

“Mas, de verdade, eu não preciso do público do Brasil. Eu acho que ninguém precisa, no UFC. Vai fazer o quê lá? Vai vender produto? Vai vender ticket? Vai vender pay-per-view? Não acho que faz sentido. Sinceramente, minha família é brasileira, meus treinadores são, mas o esporte é internacional.”, concluiu o Paulo Borrachinha.

Reinier De Ridder challenges Paulo Borrachinha after provocations

Não foi só o público brasileiro que entrou na mira de Paulo Borrachinha, recentemente o brasileiro também fez questão de minimizar a performance de Reinier De Ridder que venceu Robert Whittaker no UFC Abu Dhabi.

"With all due respect, I would knock out De Ridder three times, in any round. That said, congratulations on the win today, despite the bad fight," Paulo wrote in a post on 'X'

Se a intenção de Paulo Borrachinha era conseguir uma luta contra Reinier De Ridder na próxima rodada, parece que ele conseguiu. Em sua resposta, De Ridder lembrou o recente retrospecto negativo de Borrachinha em comparação com seus próprios resultados e desafiou o brasileiro para uma luta em novembro.

“You got your first win in 3 years, I got my first decision in 4 years and you talk. Actions speak louder than words, so meet me in November at MSG. Don't stand still for another year.”, wrote Reinier de Ridder, alongside a photo of Adesanya's 'twerking' on Paulo Borrachinha.