Brazilian bantamweight Allan Begosso came up short against Farid Basharat on the Contender Series in 2022, but after that setback and a loss that followed it, he’s clawed his way back to a potential shot at the big show.
It hasn’t been easy, and Begosso has gone through some hard times. On Saturday at LFA 227, however, he had some big names supporting him, including the likes of Callum Walsh. “I can’t say in words. All these people I have in my corner, and that’s such a big win for me,” Begosso (10-3-1) told Cageside Press following the fight. “Not just because of the fight; I have been through a lot of sh*t in my life. I’m just happy. I’m here, I got a good knockout, and I’m ready for the next one. I will celebrate today, there’s a lot of things to celebrate.”
The win comes on the heels of personal tragedy and loss. “My dad passed away a few months ago, that’s my first fight after that. I want to dedicate to him. I will keep pushing.”
Begosso finished the 12-4 Arnold Jimenez with ground n’ pound in the second round on Friday. “I’m the type of fighter, I want to knock somebody out. That’s what I’m looking for,” he noted. “Sometimes, people push too much, push forward too much, so I have to counter. Sometimes people wait too much, and I have to go. I just want to be smart enough to feel these moments, and when I feel these moments, the chance I’ve got a knockout is big.”
Next stop? Hopefully for Allan Begosso, that’s the UFC, but he’s not trying o put too much pressure on himself. He’s done that before, and learned from it.
“I feel like I don’t need to prove anything else. They know I’m high-level. I’m UFC level. I’ve been training with a lot of champions from my division like Merb [Dvalishvili], Cody Garbrandt, Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes. I have been training with high-level fighters, champions of the world. I know I’m ready for the UFC. I don’t want to kill myself for ‘ah I need to be there,’ you know what I mean? [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby knows me, he knows my reputation. If he wanted to call me, I’d be more than happy. I know what I can do in the UFC.”
Begosso is willing to leave it in God’s hands, “but I want UFC. I want my shot. Being honest, if they give me a shot on the Contender Series, I would be happy, but I know I’m ready for a straight contract in the UFC.”
Watch our full interview with LFA 227 winner Allan Begosso above.