Welterweight Bryan Barberena addressed the press at the official UFC Orlando media day ahead of facing Rafael dos Anjos in the …
so man first of all can I say that’s a
fantastic outfit oh thank you very much
yeah pretty much a daily attire there
you go uh you know he’s Matt Brown
Robbie Lawler RDA these are some pretty
pretty stellar names that you’re getting
across your desk I’m curious when they
brought RDA to you what was the first
initial reaction
uh I was really excited you know I
pitched his name in there along with a
bunch of other guys
um actually pitched other guys at first
so guys I’d like to fight
um and then I seen that he was moving up
to welterweight so I threw it in there
and they you know said they would just
see what they could do or whatever uh
you know work on a matchup and then uh
you know they hadn’t heard back for a
while and then the fight was announced
so
um
pumped though you know I’ve verified
with them they’re like oh yeah yeah uh
you know not bad for not letting you
know you got to go yeah well I think
they knew pretty much like yes yeah you
know yes yes I’ll take the fight you
know I’m really glad it’s happening
um you know he said he was looking for
an exciting fight I definitely am that
so
um I pumped to get in there mix it up
with him what do you expecting from him
at this point right because he’s been
around for so long but it’s not like
he’s ever really dropped noticeably an
ability you know he’s still very good
he’s still going against the best guys
in the world so what are you expecting
from him on Saturday I’m expecting the
very best and nothing less you know I’m
expecting the best RDA he’s coming back
up to uh Welter way I don’t expect him
to be like refueled feeling better than
ever you know not having to make the cut
to 55 and like you said he’s fought the
best in the division and uh I hope to go
I want to go on there and take it to him
you know show him that you know I’m
right there for him I got everything for
him I could answer everything he’s going
to try to set up and you know I’m ready
to go
do you think the UFC are kind of giving
you like um they’re showing their faith
in you that they’re giving you these
guys right they don’t want to put these
guys in there in boring fights you know
so but the fact that you’re getting
these names shows that the promotion is
clearly like behind you and it shows
that they clearly value you and the fact
that you put on entertaining fights yeah
well I hope they do uh you know I
appreciate it and I really do like I’m
I’m thankful to them for giving me these
matchups and making them happen the last
you know two have been full circle
moments this is a full circle moment you
know my uh Big Brother Benson Henderson
fought him eight years ago when I was in
this corner for that fight and he came
up short it’s kind of coming back as the
little brother to seek revenge in a
sense you know you know but it’s going
to be fun and I’m really thankful to the
UFC for making these matchups happen and
really I just feel the best version of
myself right now and on a Legends tour
and that you know it goes with the guys
I’ve been fighting you know because
they’re Legends but uh I’m the legend
and this is my tour yeah at the end of
this it’s going to be really cool right
to be able to look back at your own
resume and say man I thought that guy I
thought that guy fought that guy you
know yeah absolutely and I’m huge fans
of all these guys you know so it’s you
know there’s studs out there you know
the best in the division you know they
put on exciting fights every single time
they’re not in boring fights
um so that’s excitement yeah the fight
itself I’m assuming can you do anything
else than just pure Carnage for three
rounds and see what happens or what are
we expecting we’re going for performance
uh you know I’m ready to put on
performance I owe it to my coach I owe
it to my my wife my kids my team
um you know we I got the okay to do it
last time you know it was a little bumpy
the first or whatever but we wrapped it
up and came out which I thought was a
performance moment but uh it was the
best fight on the card as well um so and
there was other good performances uh so
it didn’t get that performance of the
night so we’re hoping to seal the deal
this time we’re planning to go out there
and put on a real solid performance
awesome man best of luck yeah thank you
very much
hey Brian back here yeah have you run
into tie at all this week so far I have
discussed the whole Bam Bam situation
see what’s going on who gets the rights
I mean we didn’t really discuss it but
uh like we both seemed cool about it
like is there some kind of friendly
competition you can do to see who
hopefully it’s not like who can drink
the most chewies or something because we
know who would win that I mean maybe we
can do like an eating competition I’m
good with that I’d challenge them eating
competition like after the fight or
whatever Sunday morning eating a couple
Pizza who can eat the most Pizza Count
Me In sounds like like an event Sunday
morning yeah thanks
hey Brad uh Raphael was here not too
long ago and he was saying now he’s
gonna like fluctuate between both
divisions because he’s a very relevant
fighter uh do you think that makes him a
little bit more dangerous like he says
the title container for him is out of
the question now so he’s kind of like
fighting for fun how do you think that
changes his behavior in the fight yeah I
think that makes him really dangerous
you know I think that’s what makes me
dangerous because I don’t give a crap
about the rankings or really kind of I
mean if I climb a lot of gray if I
continue to win of course I’m going to
climb the ladder but I’m having fun I
enjoyed this
um you know these matchups that I’m
getting make me that much more excited
and so yeah yeah I think he’s going to
be very dangerous I expect him to be I
expect him to be the most dangerous he’s
ever been and you know refreshed at
welterweight you know he’s not cutting
as much weight so I’m pretty sure he’s
going to be feeling really really sharp
and really good and I want him I had the
best he’s ever been I want him dangerous
and I still believe you know people were
saying like oh you’re fighting he’s
already you know whatever he’s fought he
still fought the top guys he’s been
fighting top guys you know and he’s
still ranked it lightweight he came to
welterweight before fought top guys
and I believe he can still fight top
guys you know I’m there I’m going to
show him what’s up it’s going to be fun
and I believe we’re both gonna have fun
hey Brian
um is there a part of you that wishes
this was a five round fight because
we’ve seen RDA in five round fights
recently is there a part of you that
wishes man I would love to go in there
for 25 minutes with this guy
absolutely uh but let’s not switch it
all of a sudden to a five rounder
but but yes I mean like I would love to
like this is a fight I definitely could
see going five rounds doing five rounds
and wanting to
um you know I think that favors me too
but my style like whatever I like to be
in there the longer I can get in there
with them the better too
um so yeah I would like it I mean if
this was a main event a main event in
five rounds
Count Me In and what’s going on with the
Mohawk brother I’m used to seeing it way
bigger yeah yeah we’re kind of short um
actually I had shaved my head for um uh
Josh is uh Chris weidman’s nephew he’s
fighting cancer and uh Josh I will not
break Bender fold this too shall pass
um so shaved his head shaved the head
for him you know it grew out just enough
to get a little Mohawk going uh so we
went ahead and rocked it awesome brother
appreciate it
thanks guys