Brazil has always been known to be a passionate and fiery crowd when it comes to MMA, and some even think the fans there are wild enough to give their home fighters an edge over their foreign rivals.
From throwing things to the famed ‘Uh, Vai Morrer!’ – “You’re going to die!” in Portuguese – the Brazilian crowd has always been a sight to see when it comes to UFC events. But Peru’s Kevin Borjas doesn’t think the home advantage will be at play when he fights Alessandro Costa in the opening bout of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.
“First of all, Alessandro Costa is now Mexican,” Borjas said when asked bout his opponent in a Spanish interview with MMA Junkie. “He’s now Mexican, and he’ll be fighting as a visitor.
“I’m going to beat him. He’s not superior to me. I’m way better than him, and I’m ready to fight wherever the fight goes. If he takes me down. I’m going to get up and do my job, and that’s it. There won’t be any surprises. There’s nothing that he can do that will surprise me.”
Costa (13-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) never has fought professionally in Brazil. Although he was born and grew up in Manaus, Brazil, Costa moved to Mexico in his late teens to pursue his MMA dream. Alongside UFC star Diego Lopes, Costa opened up an MMA gym in Puebla, Mexico, and began his professional MMA career there. That’s why Borjas (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) doesn’t think Costa will have the backing of the Brazilian crowd.
Although Borjas is from Peru, he thinks he’ll have support from the fans come Saturday. His coach, Ivan Iberico from Pitbull Martial Arts Center, is well known in the Brazilian martial asrts community given his long history in training Luta Livre, a Brazilian style of fighting.
“Here in Rio de Janeiro, it’s basically the birthplace of Luta Livre, which is my coach’s expertise. I’m representing Luta Livre and many coaches and people here support me, so I feel right at home. I’m not a visitor here.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.
