Gegard Mousasi says Lyoto Machida 'not really a hard-hitting fighter'

Gegard Mousasi is pretty relaxed about his headlining fight with Lyoto Machida, and to illustrate this, he said he’s taking a dip to swim every day.

“It’s not going to help me if I think all the time about the fight,” he told MMAjunkie Radio. “I know what is on the line. I feel really good. I did the best training I could, so I’m not worried about anything. I didn’t miss anything. That’s why I’m confident.”

Confidence is a defining feature of fighters, but Mousasi has always worn his under a sleepy facade. It’s difficult to get him worked up about anything. A headlining fight on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 36 isn’t going to do it.

Mousasi initially said it’s the UFC’s plan to push him for a title fight, but then minutes later said he didn’t think he would fight for the belt. He’s not concerned either way.

“At least if I don’t get a title shot, I want to fight as quick as possible,” he said.

The Dutch-Armenian fighter has spent 10 months away from the cage as he recovered from knee surgery (his second such procedure). He fought injured in his previous appearance, a light-heavyweight headliner against Ilir Latifi, a late replacement for Alexander Gustafsson, in April 2013.

A win over Gustafsson might have put him on the fast track to title consideration in the 205-pound ranks, but he’s now resetting in a lower weight class.

“I think they believe in me, and if I win, I can be a contender,” Mousasi said. “They’re giving me the chance, fighting Gustafsson in Sweden and Machida in Brazil. I can understand how it looks, also.”

Returning to the middleweight division after three fights at light heavyweight, he has 15 pounds to cut in order to make the 186-pound cutoff.

“If I don’t eat a little bit, and I cut the water weight, I will be on weight,” Mousasi said.

The pressure of winning, Mousasi (34-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) added, is on Machida (20-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC), who must compete in front of a hometown crowd when they meet at UFC Fight Night 36, which takes place at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. (The fight’s main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.)

For Mousasi, the pressure of finishing the fight, or getting finished, isn’t on him.

“I’m going to put pressure on [Machida], but steady,” he said. “I’m not going to run at him. I want to fight aggressive, but you need two people, and he does not want to play that game. So you can’t go trying to be the aggressive guy, because that’s what he wants.

“I’m going to go forward, because you don’t want to make him feel comfortable. I’m not going to go backward, that’s for sure.”

Certainly, one of them will advance in the middleweight division after this weekend. Who it is, and how much, is anyone’s guess. MMA bettors say it’s Machida, according to current lines that have the ex-UFC champ as a 2-1 favorite (after starting at 3-1). Mousasi, of course, begs to differ.

While the former Strikeforce champ understands why he is being counted out, he is somewhat dismissive of Machida’s greatest skill in the cage: finding the chins of opponents.

“He’s a dangerous opponent; he can finish fights,” Mousasi said. “But he’s not really a hard-hitting fighter. If you don’t do anything stupid, he’s not going to be able to knock you out.”

Several of Machida’s octagon opponents have grown weary of his counter-fighting style and forced the issue with fists, only to find themselves meeting air, as did ex-champ Dan Henderson in a previous appearance, or woken up after getting knocked out, as Mark Munoz did in his most recent fight.

Mousasi, though, doesn’t plan on being one of those guys.

A former K-1 kickboxer with 18 MMA knockouts, the 28-year-old plans to outwit Machida with a sound strategy to advance without exposing himself to danger.

“I’m planning on fighting smart,” he said. “I’ve never been knocked out. I’m going to try (to earn a knockout), but I don’t look for it. If it comes, it comes. But I’m going to fight smart.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 36, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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