[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W82px22z39w&w=560&h=315]
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 256 live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Josuel Distak, head coach of
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Ronaldo
Souza, is optimistic about the return of his fighter against
Kevin
Holland at
UFC 256. On Thursday,
Portal de Vale Tudo spoke with Distak about his fighter and the
preparation for the event. “Jacare” was originally booked to face
Marvin
Vettori, but when Holland tested positive for COVID-19, the
promotion switched the fighters to make Vettori fight Jack
Hermansson and matched Holland against Souza.
“Even with the fighters changed two weeks before the event, our
game plan did not change too much after they changed Vettori for
Holland,” Distak admitted. “Kevin is a really tough kid, but he is
facing the best Jacare, and the smaller octagon will work like a gi
for him.”
The Brazilian coach confirmed that the whole camp was done in
Souza’s garage, but that the change from his normal camp at Fusion
X-Cel was not as bad as it sounds.
“He built a very nice dojo at his home,” Distak said. “And most
important is that he had great support from sparring partners like
Lyoto
Machida, Renan Problema [Renan
Ferreira] – [who] is exactly [the] same size [as] Holland – and
Adrian Jaoude, the best Brazilian wrestler that today works for
WWE. Definitely Ronaldo is in great shape and is going to give
Holland a hard time.”
Distak also commented on the release of Yoel Romero
as well as UFC President Dana White’s recent statement that he will
cut upwards of 60 fighters in the coming months.
“The fact is that, there is no fighter in a safety position now
after Dana made clear he [wanted] to renew the roster and just keep
his best fighters. Jacare just [has] one more fight on his
contract, and of course, he is aware about the importance of a win
now. [On] the other hand, we know Jacare is a great fighter who
always brought great shows to the fans, and that’s what he is going
to do tomorrow and in the next years,” Distak confidently
concluded.
UFC 256 will go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 12,
coming to fans with a flyweight championship headliner of Deiveson
Figueiredo vs. Brandon
Moreno. The co-main event comes in the form of a lightweight
battle as Tony
Ferguson takes on Charles
Oliveira.
