Alexandre Machado targets submission finish against Aung La N Sang

Brazilian heavyweight Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado is reinventing himself as a light heavyweight, and plans on kicking off life in his new weight class by capturing a ONE Championship world title on his first attempt.

Machado takes on Myanmar’s ONE Middleweight World Champion Aung La N Sang for the vacant ONE Light Heavyweight World Title in Yangon on Friday, 23 February, at ONE: QUEST FOR GOLD.

The Brazilian knows he’ll be cast as the bad guy as he heads into enemy territory to take on Myanmar’s first-ever world champion in front of his own fans.

“I am facing a local star, and with him being a world champion and having the belt, he will feel more pressure than me. I am the challenger. For me, it’s just fun.”

Despite being acknowledging his opposite number has the home field advantage, Machado believes he’s free of the usual pressure that accompanies a big title bout, as “The Burmese Python” will have to shoulder the weight of expectation going into the contest.

“I am really calm. I believe he is much more nervous than I am,” Machado suggested.

“For him, it is a mismatch. He is a striker, and does not defend takedowns well. Also, he is not a very fast striker. He relies on volume, so I intend to take him down, put him on his back, and submit him.”

BJJ black belt Machado is confident in the mat skills he’s honed since his childhood, when he was introduced to the art by his father.

The lure of the cage soon grabbed him, and he transitioned to professional competition, amassing an 8-2 record. His last outing saw him defeat heavyweight contender Alain Ngalani by submission in August 2016.

“It is a dream come true to be a part of the biggest organisation in the world,” said Machado.

“My goal is to be the world champion, get the belt, and defend it for as long as I can.”

To achieve the first part of that goal, Machado knows he’ll have to outlast his opponent, whose determination and durability has shone through in his recent performances.

Machado believes Aung La N Sang will look to drag the bout all the way to the scorecards, but the Brazilian has no intention of letting the contest get that far.

“He has great conditioning and durability. He defends well, and he feels very comfortable in the cage,” he said.

“I think he will try to win by using high output, and take it to a decision. I’ve got to watch out for that, and put the pressure on him.”