But even if the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak, as the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion must first clear a follow-up test on Thursday to determine if his rib -- reportedly fractured in training camp last Tuesday -- is severe enough to sideline him until October.
Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras talks to Combate (via MMA Fighting):
"He cried. He wants this fight bad, everybody invested a lot in this. I was with him the whole afternoon. He's heartbroken. He wants to fight anyway.