Former UFC vet Marcos Vinicius (20-5-1) makes his first competitive appearance in Asia on Saturday’s Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den fight card in Singapore.

The Brazilian first gained attention for his stint in the inaugural edition of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil”, where he was the fifth pick by coach Wanderlei Silva.

Five Questions with “TUF: Brazil” alumnus Marcos Vinicius ahead of Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den

Although he did not flourish in the competition, the Brazilian had a good showing in his UFC debut, yielding “Knockout of the Night” honors in a third round TKO stoppage victory over Wagner Campos. Consecutive losses after that, however, eventually contributed to his release from the promotion.

Now, as with all fighters rebounding from losses, Vinicius, 34, looks to make a statement of intent and book a place back in the win column on December 21st. Having often jumped weight classes in his career, Vinicius will return to 135-lbs once again, when he locks horns with Japan’s Taiyo Nakahara (13-7).

Although Nakahara possesses an unimposing 13-7 record, the former Legend FC competitor holds notable bouts with Adrian Pang, DREAM staple Hideo Tokoro and UFC vets Ivan Menjivar & Rani Yahya amongst many others. Suffice to say, Vinicius’ hands will be full in this encounter given his opponent’s experience against high-caliber foes.

But make no mistake about it – Vinicius will be the favorite to get his hands raised come fight night. With an ever-improving striking game to go along with his bread-and-butter that is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, expect the fight to hit the canvas at any point of time. Remarkably, all of Vinicius’ twenty wins have come via stoppage too, so the Brazilian’s aggressive and go-forward style should give fans a reason to look forward to this intriguing encounter.

Vinicius partook in MMASucka.com’s trademark “Five questions with…” series after the official weigh-ins held by Rebel FC on Friday.

Check out what he had to say below:

1. On fighting in Asia for the first time…

“I’m very happy to be fighting here in Singapore,” Vinicius said, through a translator. “I’ve trained a lot for this fight, I feel strong, and I look forward to representing my gym and my country, Brazil.”

2. On why he chose to fight in Rebel FC instead of other promotions…

“It’s not a problem for me. I see Rebel FC as a big show, a big promotion with massive potential. I feel good about competing for them.”

3. On why he chose to move up a weight class given that his last fight was at 125-lbs…

“Changing weight classes isn’t a problem for me because I’ve done it in my past fights, even during my stint with the UFC. I’ve also fought in catchweight contests, so I’m not really concerned and I’m actually feeling great.”

4. On what he took from his experience fighting in the UFC…

“Fighting in the UFC was a big experience but I feel comfortable in fighting in other shows as well. The UFC is as big as they come to the point where once you’ve fought there, fighting in other shows won’t be a problem.”

5. On what fans can expect from the 34-year-old against Nakahara…

“No matter what show I’m fighting in, I always prepare 100%. So fans can expect to see me give my best on fight night. I’m ready for him!”

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