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Carlos Felipe deserves acknowledgement for representing MMA and the UFC well in the promotion's inaugural event on the ABC network. Felipe made the most of the unique opportunity and walked away with a win after putting on a compelling fight against Justin Tafa at UFC on ABC: Holloway vs Kattar.
The 26-year-old Brazilian is a bright prospect in the UFC's heavyweight division, a weight class that has seen a surge of young talent in recent times. Carlos Felipe is known for his fan-friendly and aggressive fighting style, which was on full display in his last bout.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda journalist James McGlade, Carlos Felipe opened up about various aspects of his life and fighting career.
Carlos Felipe recently moved house within the city of Feira de Santana. The spacious new pad is in the same neighborhood as his previous home and nearer to the gym where he trains. It was Felipe's second day in the new abode when Sportskeeda interviewed him. He was still busy setting up the place.
Felipe has been in Brazil since returning from Yas Island after his fight with Justin Tafa. He told Sportskeeda that life is yet to return to normalcy as preventive measures to stop the spread of coronavirus are still in effect restricting movement.
'We're not able to walk on the streets after eight o'clock,' Carlos Felipe said.
Carlos Felipe sheds light on bad blood with Rafael Pessoa
When Sportskeeda asked Carlos Filipe if he had any particular opponent in mind for his return to the competition, Felipe said one name straight away: "Rafael Pessoa." There's a personal beef between the two that Felipe is determined to squash inside an octagon. Another potential opponent is Maurice Greene. However, Felipe is aware that Maurice Greene has already been booked to fight Marcos Pezao and cannot tell who his next opponent might be.
"We have discussed [fighting] Maurice Greene, but he's booked to fight Marcos Pezão. I saw the [announcement] post yesterday. So, I really don't know who I'll be fighting next," Carlos Felipe said.
Felipe showed keen interest in fighting Rafael Pessoa, revealing that a personal feud with Pessoa has prompted him to push for a fight.
"We asked for Rafael Pessoa. I have bad blood with him," Carlos Felipe said.
However, according to UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, it is going to be difficult to set up the fight between Felipe and Pessoa because the two are at different levels in their respective careers. While Felipe extended his winning streak to two with a victory over Justin Tafa, Rafael Pessoa is coming off a defeat and has lost two of his three fights under the UFC umbrella.
Sportskeeda asked Carlos Felipe to elaborate further on his bad blood with Rafael Pessoa. Felipe explained that he does not appreciate people who abandon their associates after achieving some success. He revealed that Rafael Pessoa left his long-time trainer after signing with the UFC. The trainer, Renato Dominguez, happens to be Felipe's friend, hence the anger towards Pessoa.
"It's because he trained since the beginning of his career in a gym that was run by our friend, Renato Dominguez. He helped get Rafael to the UFC. Then, when he [Rafael] got to the UFC, he left his trainer. I don't like people like this. Renato is our friend, and that's why there's bad blood," Carlos Felipe explained.
Carlos Felipe defeated Justin Tafa by a thin margin and the fight was an entertaining back-and-forth affair. While discussing the prospects of a rematch, Felipe explained that he wants to look forward in his career and does not think the rematch makes sense at this point.
"I'm not interested in fighting Tafa again. I have some names I want to fight. A rematch doesn't make sense to me. There are more interesting fights to make," Carlos Felipe said.
While climbing into the heavyweight rankings is on Felipe's to-do list, he assured us that it wasn't a top priority for him.
Although Carlos Felipe's goal is to rise through the UFC rankings, he revealed that he does not intend to rush things. The prospect of holding the title or a position among the top echelons of the division does not pre-occupy him.
"I try not to think about rankings. It will be natural by the time I get there. I want to train and fight. Belts or rankings do not preoccupy me - I want to fight," Carlos Felipe said.
The Brazilian has faith in his own ability. It is only natural for a competitor on a winning streak to feel such a way. Felipe will let his fighting do the campaignin
