Another Argentine debuts at UFC 284: Francisco Prado, the undefeated savage who went from promise to reality of MMA

From promise to reality, Francisco Prado (20), an Argentine

, will make his

debut this Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, against local

in a lightweight bout (155 pounds-70 kilos).

Undefeated in eleven clashes, Prado defined everyone before the judges' decision.

Thus, he will become one of the Argentine legion in the UFC, which has

as the greatest exponent in this regard.

They are joined

, the latter two without a firm contract with the company at the moment.

And there will be no better setting to start his career in the most important company in the world to organize events in this sport, since the card will have two championship fights and a large audience in the stands and on TV.

In the co-feature, the Mexican Yair Rodríguez and the American veteran

will collide for the interim 145-pound belt.

In the main event, local featherweight champion

will look to defeat lightweight champion

.

The Argentine stood out as champion of the Samurai Fight House (SFH) event, which during 2022 organized its events in the country, but which had debuted in Brazil.

"It was an enormous joy. I fought for it all my life, I trained since I was a child and I had a lot of happiness and emotion together. When that moment came, everything I went through to get to that moment came to me like a movie in my head," he told him. Francisco told

.

He lived in Córdoba and trained at the

gym in that province, but the departure of his partner Esteban Ribovics to Miami, who won a UFC contract on the Dana White Contender Series reality show, forced him to look for other paths.

"I had run out of a partner to train and we started looking for another team. We found the one from Mar del Plata (

), I went for a week, I liked it and I hit the vibes with the guys we had fought in the same SFH event" , he clarified.

And followed.

"I knew

from there and

, and from there I stayed. I also hit a good vibes with the teacher

. They helped me a lot, I improved my fight, my boxing, "he said.

Already in Australia, he said that the first two days there were hard to get used to the famous

.

"With the team

. But now we're fine," she recalled.

- What did your family say when they found out about this trip?

- We all cried together.

We were very happy and it was the news that we fought for all my life.

I owe it to my family that they always supported me and I am where I am thanks to them too.

It was a huge joy to come home and tell them: "We did it, I signed with the UFC."

It was one of the best moments of my life.

- You are going to start in a numbered event with disputed titles: how do you imagine that scenario?

- I know it will be full, there will be two belts in dispute and then many spectators watching the event, so I can't imagine a better scenario for me.

It will be great to be able to show all that I am in front of so many people.

- Do you know what song you're going to enter with?

- I always go in with my song, which is "

" by

, because I want to be the new UFC champion.

- What did they analyze about your rival?

- He is a tough fighter who takes a lot of hits, but I don't think anyone has hit him as hard as I am going to.

I don't think he can take my blows.

Francisco Prado spoke with Clarín via Zoom.

Capture.

- As a local you will have all the support.

How do you see that?

- I work on it, I try to visualize a lot how that moment is going to be, that situation.

But in there it will be just him and me, and there will be no drama.

People are going to boo me when I enter and stuff, but I have no problem.

I know the work I have to do and I'm going to do it.

- What you said about "visualizing": Do you have coaching or do you do any kind of mental or psychological work?

- I don't have coaching, but I like to read a lot on the subject.

And I always practice my mental stuff.

Francisco Prado, Argentine MMA fighter who will debut at UFC 284 in Australia.

Instagram photo.

- How much do you think the fact that you are undefeated influenced them to notice you from the UFC?

- Yes, I think that it is what most influenced that I am undefeated so that they notice me.

Also, that I finished all of them and never came to a decision.

I think that is what attracted the most attention for the company to pay attention to me.

- Unlike Ribovics, you signed a direct contract and you didn't have to fight for it.

Would you have liked that "all or nothing" adrenaline rush?

- No, obviously it is always preferable to go from one.

Why take so much risk?

Obviously, if he gave that he had to go to the Contender there was no problem.

But thank God it happened that way.

The Contender out there gives you three or four months of preparation and now I had a month and a half, but we accepted it in one go.

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- You have been doing martial arts since you were 14 years old: in what do you think you should improve more than in other aspects?

- I think that when you say you don't have to improve at anything, that's when you get stuck.

There are always things to improve.

Throughout.

As much as I feel comfortable in boxing or wrestling, I still want to keep improving, because I think that's the way to evolve: never say 'that's it'.

I would like to improve in everything.

- What has caught your attention so far within that organization?

- The entire organization.

It's the best event in the world, so they have everything organized.

Everything is of a high level, I have nutritionists for me, everyone sees what I need... It is great care and I am delighted.

- What surprised you about Australia?

- For now all the architecture is very beautiful.

The quiet city.

We arrived at eight at night and the whole city was already turned off.

They all get up very early and go to bed early.

- Have you traveled so far?

- Never.

She had traveled to Natal, in the north of Brazil, but not that far.

It was about 40 hours of travel, but it was pretty good.

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