Photo: Josh Hedges
Rogério Minotouro didn’t have it easy at UFC 114 this Saturday in Las Vegas. He narrowly escaped attacks like the second-round guillotine Jason Brilz nearly won the fight with. The narrowly-won split decision displeased those present in the arena.
“I promise next time I’ll be better,” he said in apology while still in the octagon, to boos.
Minotouro was originally set to face Forrest Griffin, but the latter pulled out due to injury a few weeks before the event. The fighter admitted that the change caused him some problems:
“I had to change my game plan. He (Brilz) is a good striker and has good wrestling. I had to change my plan, but I’m happy to be here among the best,” he says.
“I trained a lot of muay thai because I was going to face Forrest. When they changed my opponent I had to change everything because he comes from a wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu background, likes to grapple, which is totally different from Griffin, who fights at a distance and likes to kick. I think that was hard for me,” he continues.
Despite the disagreeing audience, Minotouro feels he deserved the decision.
“I was more aggressive and I took the fight to him the whole time. I got hit some, but I was always looking for the knockout,” he said in analysis.
“He tried to take me down a lot, but I kept going for the knockout. He won the second round but everyone saw that I dominated him in the third round,” he said, without forgetting to address his boss.
“I want to thank Dana White for the opportunity. This is my place and I want to stay here for a long time still with my brother and team,” he says in finishing.
