Not much has gone according to plan for Philipe
Lins since he made his way to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship with a
Professional Fighters League title in tow on May 13, 2020. In
the more than 600 days that have elapsed since, he has competed
just three times while watching no fewer than nine scheduled bouts
evaporate for various reasons.
“After so many cancellations, I jokingly say that my nickname
changed from ‘Monstro’ to ‘Drama Fighter,’” Lins told Sherdog.com.
“Some of the cancellations were due to my injuries. On other
occasions, my opponents got hurt; and sometimes, there were
personal problems. In the end, the most important thing is that I’m
back to work.”
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Lins will draw his first assignment of 2023 when he collides with
Ovince St.
Preux as part of the
UFC Fight Night 219 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. St. Preux has lost six of his past 10 bouts but remains
a viable threat at 205 pounds. The 39-year-old former University of
Tennessee linebacker last appeared at UFC 274, where he eked out a
split decision over Mauricio Rua
in their May 7 rematch.
“He’s dangerous, very experienced and a southpaw,” Lins said. “I’m
ready to fight him—anytime. I give him all due respect. I never
underestimate any of my opponents. I also think that they’ll show
up in the best possible shape. That makes me prepare even better.
I’m confident we’ll put on a great show. He likes striking, and so
do I.”
St. Preux’s reputation precedes him. A fixture on the UFC roster
for nearly a decade, the onetime light heavyweight title challenger
owns victories over Corey
Anderson, Yushin
Okami, Rafael
Cavalcante and Nikita
Krylov. St. Preux, 39, boasts 20 finishes on his resume, 14 of
them inside one round.
“He’s got a good name; he’s famous,” Lins said. “Without a doubt, a
win over him would be a great step in the direction of the UFC
rankings. As far as how it’s going to play out, I always look to
get a finish before the final buzzer. I look to put on exciting
fights. This fight won’t be any different. I’m always looking to
put on a show for the fans. Of course, at this high level, you
can’t just show up and fight.”
Lins operates out of the
American Top Team academy in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he
sharpens his skills and bolsters his conditioning under Steve
Mocco, Katel Kubis, Mike Rod, Everton Bittar and a number of
other world-class coaches. Klidson
Abreu and Monte
Morrison served as his primary training partners during his
latest camp.
“The only work I do outside is cardio. I’ve been swimming a lot,”
Lins said. “We’ve put in a solid strategy to deal with [St. Preux].
You have to go into it with intelligence, knowledge and proper
timing. I just want to make sure I get my hand raised.”
The 37-year-old Lins understands a second straight victory inside
the Octagon—he took a unanimous decision from Marcin
Prachnio in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 205 last
April—would go a long way toward helping him establish a foothold
at 205 pounds.
“My main focus is to get a win,” he said. “Then we’ll sit down and
see what the next steps are for my career. I’m not young anymore.
Of course, I still have a fire in me. I’m dangerous for as long as
I have that fire. I want to keep fighting at a high level in the
UFC until the day I decide to retire. Until then, I want to be one
of the top fighters in my weight class.”