Modestas Bukauskas will be going into enemy territory for the third straight fight.
Bukauskas is set to go to Sao Paulo, Brazil to face undefeated Vitor Petrino. It’s Bukauskas’ third straight fight in enemy territory, which is something he is now used to and enjoys.
“It’s what they offered me. I would have thought I would have earned the right to fight somewhere near home,” Bukauskas said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “It is what it is. Like you said, I’m no stranger to it now, fighting an Australian in Australia, an American in America, and now a Brazilian in Brazil. I kind of like it. You are going into far away land and going to conquer, it is like warrior vibes. I’m going to take far away land I don’t know about.”
Once Modestas Bukauskas was offered Vitor Petrino at UFC Sao Paulo, he began studying his opponent again. He knows the Brazilian is very explosive and powerful, but he believes his experience will be the difference.
“I’ve watched him, I knew it would be a potential opponent,” Bukauskas said. “I believe I told my manager that could be an opponent we could go for. I watched him on Contender Series and his two fights in the UFC, he’s a very explosive guy, he’s got good striking and when he’s on, he’s on. He’s got a style where he builds off his own momentum, but he’s still quite raw in his skill set.”
Against Vitor Petrino at UFC Sao Paulo, Modestas Bukauskas is confident he will hand the Brazilian the first loss of his career.
Bukauskas expects the fight to be a barn burner, but one where he can score a finish in the later rounds after Petrino starts to fade.
“In every sense of the word, I expect it to be a barn burner. I expect it to be an explosive fight. Both of us will come out swinging, and I expect there to be a bit of a technical side. I do think my experience will come into play here. He’s very young in the sport, very early in his career. He has a massive win streak and it’s my job to take away that 0,” Bukauskas said. “Give him his first defeat, he hasn’t tasted defeat before and it’s my job to hand it to him. I do believe I will get my hand raised. I’ll go out there into his home country and get the job done. I always go for the finish, and I want to be able to finish it.”
If Bukauskas gets his hand raised on Saturday at UFC Sao Paulo, the goal is to return in March at UFC London.
“I think I would earn my spot to fight on the London card. I’ll earn my spot to have my country behind him after going into enemy territory three times in a row,” Bukauskas said.
