LAS VEGAS – Marcos Rogerio wants the smoke from Derrick Lewis.
The veteran UFC heavyweight called out the most successful knockout artist in the division following his most recent win inside the octagon. Rogerio (21-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a unanimous decision on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 223 at the UFC Apex.
Rogerio is determined to prove he belongs in the UFC’s official rankings, and he thinks a fight against Lewis can do just that.
“I know that my place is among the top 15 of the division,” Rogerio told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 223 post-fight news conference. “There was a fight that was made a long time ago with (Francis) Ngannou and Derrick Lewis, and everyone thought it was going to be a big explosion in the cage, but it wasn’t. Ngannou didn’t engage and it was a boring fight. I do believe that if I fight Derrick Lewis that it will be explosive.”
With Saturday’s win, Rogerio is now on a two-fight winning streak and 4-1 in his five most recent outings. The streak includes notable names Ben Rothwell and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
Rogerio is happy where he’s at in his career and thinks the win over Cortes-Acosta is further proof he’s on the rise.
“I give myself a 10,” Rogerio said regarding his performance. “I’m improving in every area. Waldo is a great fighter. I had to really bring the strategy to the fight and to not let him go with the boxing. I came ready. I did my homework, and I’m ready to go ahead and move forward.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 223.