Staropoli to arrive inspired for his fight

The Saturday, June 5 card at UFC Apex will feature a double Argentinean presence. Laureano ‘Pepi’ Staropoli in his middleweight debut against Georgian Roman Dolidze and Santiago Ponzinibbio against Puerto Rican Miguel Baeza.

Staropoli wants to break a streak of two consecutive losses and dared to take the fight on just 15 days notice due to the good shape he considers himself in, as he will be leaving 170 pounds to make his first foray at 185.

“My body suffers a lot when I cut so much weight. Now at 185 I’m going to feel much better, I feel that in this category I can give my best. Today I honestly don’t feel pressured or with the obligation to win. I am only focused on bringing the best result for my country and for all the people of Latin America who fortunately follow me”, explained Laureano.

It will be the second time he fights alongside Ponzinibbio, a native, like him, of La Plata and he hopes the cabal works, because the only time they shared a billboard, in November 2018, both came out with the victory. “I have a lot of appreciation for Santiago, he was my number one reference and I have a lot of appreciation for him and on top of that we are going out to celebrate in Las Vegas,” said ‘El Matador’.

Used to doing his camps in Brazil, with Diego Lima’s Chute Boxe team, the pandemic forced him to stay in his country and it was a pleasant surprise.

“The truth is that it was spectacular, because I came to Argentina with the idea of doing an optimal physical preparation. I was about to go to Brazil to do sparring and I didn’t have time because they offered me the fight. But I’m still in good rhythm and I want to show what I’ve been working on for a long time. It was good to add the element of being close to my family and friends, I usually do the camp alone. Now I was at my mother’s house, with incredible support, I feel armored, indestructible,” he explained.

He knows that Dolidze will be a bigger opponent and that he also drops from semi-complete to medium, but today he has a great inspiration to go far in his new category, because his partner Charles Oliveira has made it clear to him that the goal of being UFC champion is within reach and he explained, “You don’t know how proud we feel. Today my number one reference in the whole world is my partner Charles. He is my example to follow, not only as a fighter but as a person, because many look at the one who gets in the Lamborghini, with money, on the yacht and with those material things that in the end are worth nothing. I see Carlos filling a food truck and taking it to the families, I want to have money to be able to help others, that is priceless”.

This motivation makes him dream big, with a reception similar to the one ‘Do Bronx’ had when he took his belt to the favela: “I see myself like that, my people deserve it”. If Charles were Argentinean he would have filled a stadium, the Argentinean is very fanatic, of everything, of soccer, of politics. If now I have two victories and two defeats, I have the affection of many people, I know I will go far”.

Saturday’s card will also feature Peruvian Claudio Puelles against Jordan Leavitt and will be headlined by heavyweights Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai.