Gleison Tibau will become the lightweight with the most UFC fights Wednesday night, but that’s not the only record he wants.
Tibau, who has built a 13-8 record inside the Octagon since 2006, targets Tito Ortiz’s record of 27 bouts in the UFC, and he wants to surpass that number by the end of 2015.
This goal keeps me inspired and motivated, Tibau told MMAFighting.com. I want to break all the records. I want to be the lightweight with most fights and wins in the UFC, and I want to be the fighter with most fights in the UFC. And I want to get closer to the title by doing this. That’s my war.
Tibau was forced out of the UFC Fight Night 38 card in May with an injury, but returns on Wednesday’s UFN 45 card in Atlantic City, N.J., against Pat Healy.
I’m really excited for this fight. I miss the Octagon so much, he said. My last fight was eight months ago and I had an injury that forced me to cancel a fight in Brazil, but I’m back. I want to fight two more fights this year. If everything goes right, I want to win three fights this year.
As the American Top Team lightweight turned 31 years old a week before his 22nd UFC fight, he explains how he keeps fighting three or four times a year at his age.
I started fighting when I was 15 years old, and I’m 31 now. The big secret is having a healthy life and loving what you do, he said. You need a good training and a good team to stay in this sport and compete against these young and talented kids.
Tibau was finished for the first time in five years in his last bout against Michael Johnson, and he won’t let this happen again.
I learned a lot with my last fight, the Brazilian said. I wasn’t expecting to end like that, but I fixed some holes in my striking after that fight. I want my fans to see my evolution now.
Healy enters the cage on a three-fight losing streak, and his last win was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for marijuana. He has his back against the wall, and that’s why Tibau thinks he’s such a dangerous match-up.
Pat Healy is a super tough guy, he said. He’s coming off three losses, but he returned to the UFC with a huge win over Jim Miller and he was a warrior in every fight he fought. That’s why he’s in the UFC. His fights are wars, so he’s a dangerous opponent.
This is the fight of his life, so I think it’s going to be a tough fight.
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