There’s no denying the UFC’s bantamweight division is stacked. Outside the promotion’s official top-15 rankings, there are several young contenders on the rise, and many find Peru’s Daniel Marcos to be part of that pack.
Marcos (15-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), unbeaten in his MMA career, returns to the octagon Saturday against John Castaneda (21-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 57. He plans to make a big statement and continue his undefeated run in the sport.
“I believe in my work, and I’m going to do something that many people don’t expect or don’t think I can do.” Marcos told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “… This is a great opportunity for me. I’m going to go out and finish him, and this time he won’t have a chance to have his moments or have the judges award him a win.
“I’m going out to finish. I’m fueled and I’m very hungry. My blood is boiling and when he’s in front of me. He’s going to feel my power. Any opponent that faces me is going to feel my power.”
Marcos expects this fight to play out on the feet, but is ready for anything.
“Keeping in mind he’s a southpaw and the angles he uses, I think a lot of this fight is going to be standing,” Marcos said. “I think fans are going to enjoy this fight and wherever this fight goes, I’ll be ready. If he wants to wrestle and grapple, I’m ready. If he decides to take me down, he better be ready because I’m going to squash him.”
Marcos thinks he should be 3-0 in the UFC, as he was beating Aoriqileng in his last outing before a groin strike from him ended the bout in a no contest. He hopes a win Saturday could get him a spot in the rankings.
“This is a very tough division, but I’m 100 percent sure that in the next few months my name is going to be up there,” Marcos said. “It’s going to happen very soon. I’ve visualized it, and it’s only a matter of time.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.
