Written by Marcos Degli and Matheus Severino are set to battle for the LFA interim flyweight title | LFA
Brazilian flyweight prospects Marcos Degli and Matheus Severino have been making waves in the regional scene for many years now and they see Friday’s LFA 212 interim title bout in Brasilia, Brazil, as having more than a shiny belt on the line.
Degli won the interim title with a brutal left hook knockout over Lincon Santos in February, boosting his MMA record to 12-3 with 11 finishes. Oscar Miguel was next for him, but Severino stepped in on three weeks’ notice shortly after a quick destruction of Alan Gabriel this past May.
The lineal champion is Eduardo Henrique, who is scheduled to defend his belt in late August versus Devon Lozej in Ventura, Calif. However, both Degli and Severino, named Brazilian prospects to watch in 2024 and 2023, respectively, don’t expect an unification bout right after—they foresee a call to join the UFC in 2025.
“It’s the most important fight of my career,” Severino said. “I’m fighting for more than 10 years and it’s my turn now. I believe that a win over him sets up a unification bout with ‘Chapolin’ [Henrique], who fights now, or I’m going straight to the UFC, maybe a spot on the Contender [Series].
“UFC is my goal. I believe I’ll sign with the UFC with a win tonight. … I’m more mature and experienced to be in the UFC, put on great fights and have a long career there.”
Degli, who fought 11 times as an amateur—including a victory over future UFC talent Andre Lima—and has won his last 10 as a pro, believes he’s destined to join Dana White’s promotion after one more victory.
“It’s a fight between two hyped athletes,” Degli said of him and Severino. “He’s 14-4, I’m 12-3 with 10 wins in a row, and this will be my 11th. That will push me even further. I believe this victory here gets me in the UFC. That’s our goal, but we think one fight at a time. Win this one. We never know what comes after, so we have to live the present.”
Dreaming with a UFC shot means nothing if they can’t get the job done in Brasilia, and neither man expects an easy night of work.
“I’m not even thinking about this as a title defense or any like that,” Degli said. “I just go there and fight like any other fight in my life. When I’m like this, there’s no extra weight on me.”
“[Severino] took the fight on three weeks’ notice and even though he said he was already back in training, it’s a battle to make weight,” he continued. “He won’t be able to push the pace for five rounds, so we have that in our favor. I’m more explosive, I like to knock people out. I’m the type of guy the UFC likes, one who finishes fights, and I believe we’ll catch him in the third round.”
Severino did take the opportunity three weeks ago as a replacement, but said he doesn’t consider it to be a short notice. In fact, he expects Degli to struggle with his style after preparing for his previous opponent.
“I see myself finishing this fight on the feet or submitting him on the ground. I truly believe that,” said Severino, brother former UFC fighter and current Oktagon title contender Igor Severino. “It’s a five-round fight so he won’t rush forward early, and I can’t let him get comfortable. He gets better as the fight progresses and his opponents get tired, and I can’t let that happen. I’ll go for the knockout.”
Degli fully disagrees.
“He will come for all or nothing,” Degli said. “That’s who he is, that Chute Boxe style. They’re brawlers, so I plan on frustrating his game with my movement. He will try to explode on me early and that will cost him the fight because he will gas out. … We’ll drown him there. He’ll be excited to be fighting for a belt, and I don’t have that emotion. The belt is already mine, so I’ll just go in there and drown him and eventually catch him.”