Felipe dos Santos: ‘I’m Ready to Deliver’

The grind never ends for Felipe dos Santos.

“Lipe Detona” will look to get himself on track in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division when he battles the unbeaten Lone’er Kavanagh as part of the UFC Fight Night 255 undercard on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. Dos Santos has lost two of his first three bouts inside the Octagon. He last suited up on Sept. 7, when a unanimous decision defeat to Andre Lima sent him back to the proverbial drawing board.

“I came back home and went back to work,” dos Santos told Sherdog.com. “I know that I have another tough opponent ahead of me. I’m very happy that the UFC is giving me this opportunity. I want to show that I belong among the best. It’s what’s expected of me. I’m ready to deliver.”

Time will tell whether or not he can follow through on those words against Kavanagh, who has emerged as one of the more intriguing prospects in the 125-pound weight class. The 25-year-old Great Britain Top Team rep has won all eight of his fights as a pro, earning five finishes in the process. Kavanagh made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 248, where the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate outpointed Jose Ochoa to a unanimous verdict in November.

“I always respect my opponents, of course, and anything can happen in the cage,” dos Santos said. “I see him as being very tough, but I have a lot of faith in my potential. I know that I’m very likely to win this fight. We’ve been doing amazing work. We were able to study his game in detail. The best path to victory may be jiu-jitsu. Ultimately, I believe the UFC’s expectations are for fighters to mount a winning streak, regardless of how much heart they show.

“We must fight intelligently to guarantee a victory,” he added. “If we end up striking, I expect our battle to last until the end of the third round. If we grapple, I see myself getting a submission. Either way, I expect to get my arm raised.”

Such self-assuredness can be attributed to dos Santos’ preparation at the esteemed Chute Boxe affiliate fronted by Diego Lima in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Among his regular training partners: former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

“I’ve been improving my muay thai and distance management,” dos Santos said. “I expect I’ll be able to land better strikes and implement a better fight strategy. I didn’t take a break. I’m confident that once the cage door closes, I’ll be able to deliver everything I’ve been working on. I’m highly positive and confident. I focused on muay thai and hitting pads. I plan to be more aggressive and to connect more after three months of effort. We had fantastic camp. All that’s left is to reap the rewards.”

Those rewards can only flow if dos Santos clears the hurdle in front of him.

“I know that I have some areas I can still work on, but so does everyone else,” he said. “For now, I’d like to show that I deserve the chance to continue defending the Brazilian flag in the UFC. I have far to go. The UFC won’t regret having hired me.”