Ferreira inspired by Teixeira and Oliveira: ‘I want to be where they are’
Lightweight veteran Diego Ferreira is motivated by his fellow countrymen ahead of his fight vs. Mateusz Gamrot.
Seasoned lightweight Carlos Diego Ferreira might be going through a rough patch at the moment, but instead of letting it affect him, the Brazilian prefers to look at two of the most recent Cinderella stories in the UFC for inspiration. While he prepares to take on Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 45, the 36-year-old feels motivated by champions Glover Teixeira and Charles Oliveira.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Ferreira explained how his fellow countrymen’s stories played a part in helping him remain mentally strong ahead of the Gamrot bout. Not only Charles winning the title after being in the UFC for 10 years inspired Diego, but also the fact that an older man such as Teixeira managed to turn his career around and win a title at the age of 42.
“It (Charles becoming the champion) has really motivated me. Not only Charles, because Charles was always really busy. He would win, lose, win again and now he’s the champion. Take a look at Glover. He made it to the top. He won the belt at 42. Both of them have really motivated me. They made much more focused to get what I want. That was really important for me. I’m really happy for them, my countrymen. Now I want to be where they are.”
Currently on a two-fight losing skid, Ferreira (17-4) lost to Gregor Gillespie and Beneil Dariush, respectively in May and February of this year. Before that, the 36-year-old was on a six-fight winning streak, with victories over notable names, such as Anthony Pettis, Mairbek Taisumov and Rustam Khabilov, among others.
Now, Ferreira is expected to meet Gamrot at UFC Vegas 45, on December 18, at the UFC Apex, in Las Vegas. The card is set to be headlined by a heavyweight bout between contender Derrick Lewis and rising prospect Chris Daukaus.
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