Brunno Ferreira had a big callout after his big knockout.
The Brazilian middleweight called for a fight against famed prospect Bo Nickal following his impressive knockout win at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 57 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Ferreira (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) put the lights out on Dustin Stoltzfus (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) with a spinning back elbow in the first round of their main card bout.
With the attention of the crowd on him, Ferreira shot his shot at Nickal in his post-fight interview.
“I’ve shown my power in the division, but I come from judo,” Ferreira told commentator Paul Felder. “I’ve said this many times: I’m an excellent judoka, I’m a black belt, and a former athlete in Brazil’s national team. I want to issue the UFC a challenge: What do you guys think about judo vs. wrestling? Come on, Bo Nickal.”
“This knockout was really worked for.”
Brunno Ferreira was fully prepared for his stunning spinning elbow KO and wants a fight against Bo Nickal next. #UFCLouisville Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/gAKitEJGRT
— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 9, 2024
Speaking backstage with the UFC, Ferreira said he expected the knockout win. His team saw an opening in preparation for Saturday.
“You can say that this knockout was really worked for – we really planned it,” Ferreira said. “We saw that he would come in, and he would throw his body a lot, so we knew that this and other strikes would work. But once the first one landed, I knew I could try it again and that it would land.”
Ferreira got a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his finish and leaves UFC on ESPN 57 with a smile on his face.
“I feel like it’s mission accomplished – the job has been done,” Ferreira said. “I went through injuries and everything the fighters go through to get here, so right now the feeling is mission accomplished.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.
