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28-year-old UFC Lightweight John Makdessi (11-2, 4-2 UFC) faces Ultimate Fighter: Brazil veteran Renee Forte this Saturday at UFC 165 in Canada. He spoke to UFC.com in advance of the bout and here's what he had to say:
"I train harder in my weaknesses than I train in my strengths," explains Makdessi. "I love striking. And there's more to my striking than just kicking and punching. To master one skill can take a lifetime. Just one skill. In MMA, we're trying to master many different skills. For me, I'm trying to be smart. I'm not going to become a black belt in jiu-jitsu in a year. Black belts don't matter to me; belts only hold your pants up. Good for someone that's a black belt, but MMA is a combat sport with punches and striking. It's a totally different ball game. It's about what I'm going to do and not what he's going to do. I believe I'm a true fighter who can take the most punishment and who can give out the most punishment. I'm looking to excite; I'm looking to dominate.
"With my skills, it's going to be fireworks. I'm very unpredictable and that's a beautiful thing about me. I always try to master my techniques and I always try to do crazy things for the fans because I love to entertain the crowd. With each fight the fans watch of me, they'll never have regrets and there will always be a nice taste to it."
We'll see if Makdessi's ground skills are tested on Saturday.
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