Alex Oliveira stepped in as a short-notice replacement to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at Saturday’s UFC 254 on Fight Island and believes he has ruined his opponent’s confidence with one handshake.
“Cowboy” says he met Rakhmonov earlier this week at the W Hotel in Abu Dhabi, three days before the official weigh-ins, and did not appreciate the look the unbeaten Kazakh welterweight was giving him.
“This guy Rakhmonov is coming off several victories and he was confident until he saw me (Tuesday) at the breakfast, when our paths crossed,” Oliveira said in an interview with MMA Fighting.