EXCLUSIVE: Marretinha points to Ultimate's plan behind fight against former champion at UFC Vegas 118: 'Get rid of this problem'

Gabriel Marretinha He believes he will be doing the UFC a 'favor' if he wins. Belal Muhammad | No. ufc vegas 118, scheduled for next Saturday (6). Scheduled for the main fight, the Brazilian faces the former champion in a confrontation that could take him to the top 5 of the welterweights (up to 77Kg) and, incidentally, remove from the top of the category an opponent frequently criticized for his fighting style.

In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS, Marretinha stated that he sees the opportunity as part of the organization's strategy to renew the top of the division.

“Nobody likes Belal Mohammad, he’s a guy who puts on ugly fights, he doesn’t sell at all. I’m top 11, they gave me a top 5, you know? So, I believe that’s exactly the UFC’s strategy to get him out of the rankings as quickly as possible,” he said. Gabriel Marretinha.

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In the Brazilian's view, Muhammad doesn't appeal to the public because he puts on unexciting fights, and therefore he believes that a victory for him would help 'solve this problem' for the UFC.

"Every time I see someone, especially a fan, the people who talk to us, complaining, 'Oh, so-and-so's fights are boring, so-and-so isn't fun to watch fight,' and so on, I always say, 'Dude, when you have a boring fighter, you only have to do one thing: beat him, get rid of that problem,'" the fighter continued.

Gabriel Marretinha wants to send a message to the top of the UFC welterweight division.

Marretinha celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

Confident, Marretinha projected a dominant performance, acknowledging the difficulties posed by his opponent's style, but guaranteeing that, if given the opportunity, he would seek a decisive finish, whether by knockout or submission. According to him, a convincing victory would serve as a direct message to the top 5 in the division and bring him closer to a potential title shot.

“I think about getting there, putting on a great performance, but there’s the other side to it, which can disrupt the game, you know? But if there’s enough time, we’ll definitely have a good fight, and there will be a knockout, a submission, so I believe that would send a message to the guys in the top 5, and it would certainly bring me closer to the belt,” concluded Marretinha.

Gabriel Marretinha is having a great run in the UFC.

With six wins and only one loss in the octagon, Gabriel Marretinha He's having a great run in the welterweight division. The Brazilian has a streak of four consecutive wins and currently occupies the 11th position in the category's ranking.

Moreover, Belal Muhammad | He is trying to stay among the top names in the division. The athlete is going through a delicate moment in his career, coming from losses all with Jack Della Maddalena e Ian Machado Garry, which puts extra pressure on his next performance.