Freddy Assuncao knows he has his work cut out for him, and he wants rewarded if he beats Gesias Cavalcante at Titan FC 40.
Assuncao is riding an 8-fight win streak, stretching across Titan, World Series of Fighting and several regional promotions. On Friday night, he'll take on traveled MMA veteran Gesias Cavalcante, and if he emerges victorious, he says he deserves a UFC shot.
“I’m going up in weight from my usual 145 pounds to 155 pounds and fight for the belt. I think that if I win the belt, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t go into the UFC. It will be my ninth victory in a row. And if I don’t get into the UFC right away, maybe I’ll also fight for the Titan featherweight belt," Assuncao told MMA Junkie.
As Assuncao mentioned, he's moving up a weight class to face a more experienced opponent. After missing well over a year twice in his career, the 34-year old Assuncao isn't getting any younger, and wants to see where he stands. In beating Cavalcante, Assuncao thinks that says much more than other fighters who get into the company.
I’m facing Gesias to test myself," Cavalcante said. "A lot of people beat weak opponents on their way to the UFC. But once they’re in, they get a rude awakening, since the level is so high. So I’d like rather test myself against someone who was one of the best lightweights in the world for a long time.”
You can see Titan FC 40 on UFC Fight Pass, which features color commentary from Fightful.com's Showdown Joe Ferraro..
