Trainer: Smaller Octagon Will Function Like a Gi for ‘Jacare’ at UFC 256

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 256 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Josuel Distak, head coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Ronaldo Souza, is optimistic about the return of his fighter against Kevin Holland at UFC 256.

On Thursday, Portal de Vale Tudo spoke with Distak about his fighter and the preparation for the event. “Jacare” was originally booked to face Marvin Vettori, but when Holland tested positive for COVID-19, the promotion switched the fighters to make Vettori fight Jack Hermansson and matched Holland against Souza.

“Even with the fighters changed two weeks before the event, our game plan did not change too much after they changed Vettori for Holland,” Distak admitted. “Kevin is a really tough kid, but he is facing the best Jacare, and the smaller octagon will work like a gi for him.”

The Brazilian coach confirmed that the whole camp was done in Souza’s garage, but that the change from his normal camp at Fusion X-Cel was not as bad as it sounds.

“He built a very nice dojo at his home,” Distak said. “And most important is that he had great support from sparring partners like Lyoto Machida, Renan Problema [Renan Ferreira] – [who] is exactly [the] same size [as] Holland – and Adrian Jaoude, the best Brazilian wrestler that today works for WWE. Definitely Ronaldo is in great shape and is going to give Holland a hard time.”

Distak also commented on the release of Yoel Romero as well as UFC President Dana White’s recent statement that he will cut upwards of 60 fighters in the coming months.

“The fact is that, there is no fighter in a safety position now after Dana made clear he [wanted] to renew the roster and just keep his best fighters. Jacare just [has] one more fight on his contract, and of course, he is aware about the importance of a win now. [On] the other hand, we know Jacare is a great fighter who always brought great shows to the fans, and that’s what he is going to do tomorrow and in the next years,” Distak confidently concluded.

UFC 256 will go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 12, coming to fans with a flyweight championship headliner of Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno. The co-main event comes in the form of a lightweight battle as Tony Ferguson takes on Charles Oliveira.