Mitch Raposo Finally Believes

The 27-year-old has long profiled as someone that could compete at this level, and his appearances on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series illustrate that the promotion saw promise in him as well. But when those opportunities didn’t pan out as expected, it seemed like perhaps Raposo’s opportunity came and went.

A short-notice assignment against unbeaten Brazilian Andre Lima opened the door to the UFC, and competitive battles with him and Sumudaerji afterward showed that Raposo could hang in the talent-rich 125-pound weight class. But getting his hand raised Maksum was the crystallization of everything his team had been telling him and infused Raposo with a drive to ratchet things up another notch.

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“Honestly, it made me just want to focus more,” he said. “I realized I’ve been holding myself back a little bit in these fights and I can go out there, get the job done against some of these Top 15, Top 10 guys, I feel like I can make a run… Getting that win was validation, proving to myself that I can do it, and now I’m just ready to take it to the next level. Focus up, keep improving, and just keep getting better.”

Raposo gets an intriguing opportunity this weekend to expedite a move up the divisional ladder as he’s paired off with Allan Nascimento, a dangerous Brazilian from the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team that touches down in Winnipeg having won four straight. Coming off a submission win over Cody Durden, Nascimento feels like someone that has been knocking on the door of the Top 15 and was likely looking to face someone with a number next to their name.

But that’s not anything for Raposo to concern himself with. For him, this is a chance to collect a second straight win, add to his momentum, and truly make a statement.

“I feel like the UFC gave me a great opportunity to fight up,” Raposo said. “When they give you an opportunity like this, you can look at it (one of two ways): you can look at it like, ‘Maybe I could get an easier fight,’ but I love this fight! … When Tyson (Chartier) called me with it, I was so down for it! I said, ‘Dude, let’s go.’ That four-fight winning streak, all that hype is gonna be mine.

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“If you look at my fights, I feel like I should be 2-1 in the UFC and getting a guy like this, the matchup, the circumstances, this is a huge opportunity,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, but this is all about going out there and having fun. I know I’m one of the best in the world, so it doesn’t matter who’s standing across from me, who’s doubting me; as long as I’ve got my team behind me, I’ve got my lord and savior Jesus Christ, I’m gonna get it done.”

The team has always been behind him, but now that Raposo has concrete proof of the things Chartier and others have been trying to drill into him throughout the years, he’s finally believing in himself fully as well.

“Having somebody like that to guide me through my career — I saw he knows what he’s doing, I saw the work with Rob (Font) and Calvin (Kattar) and that it works from their journey,” he said of Chartier. “I feel like you really need that person in your career and I’m blessed to have Tyson around me, guiding me… There have been numerous times where Tyson has texted me, ‘I believe you can be UFC champion; believe in yourself.’ Even before this fight, he said, ‘You’re gonna go out there and knock this kid out; just go out there and do your thing.’”

And that’s exactly what Raposo intends to do.

“I’m gonna go out there and just be me — really frustrate this guy,” he said. “You can be 4-1 in the UFC, but he’s never fought anyone like me; that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact.

“You look at the guys he’s fought, none of them are like me — not of them move like me, are as fast as me; they’re all grapplers. I have one-punch knockout power and that’s what I’m looking for is to change my life on Saturday night.”