Luis Dias targets Matthieu Duclos' weakness for UFC Paris
The Brazilian middleweight studied Duclos' previous fights and plans to use pressure and his boxing to secure a quick finish.
Ahead of his UFC Paris matchup against Matthieu Duclos, Luis Dias has thoroughly studied his opponent. The Brazilian middleweight revealed that he has focused heavily on Duclos' lead-leg kicks during training and plans to use pressure and his boxing to dictate the fight on Saturday. The bout will mark Dias' second UFC appearance, while Duclos will be making his UFC debut.
Luis Dias Breaks Down Matthieu Duclos
About to face a power striker with eight finishes in 10 wins, Dias has spent considerable time dissecting his opponent's game. The Brazilian revealed he has identified the lead-leg kick as one of Duclos' main weapons and that he already has a game plan for the French fighter.
"I watched this fight quite a bit," Dias told Ag Fight. "I studied his game a lot from it, what he's going to bring to me, especially those lead-leg kicks. We worked a lot on that. […] The idea is to close the distance, get my hands going, get out, keep moving and always be bothering him, always putting pressure on him and not letting him put pressure on me."
Dias plans to avoid allowing Duclos to dictate the pace, instead looking to close the distance, land his punches and immediately move out before repeating the process.
Luis Dias Confident in his Boxing
While Luis Dias expects to rely on movement and pressure, he is not abandoning his aggressive approach. The Brazilian said he has been working extensively on his boxing and remains confident in his ability to hurt Duclos if he finds the right opening.
"I've been working a lot on my hands, and I'm very confident in them," Dias said. "I'm not going to fight looking for one particular punch, you know? My strategy is always to finish the fight before the time runs out. Just because I'm going to move more doesn't mean I'm not going in there to finish the fight as quickly as possible. I'm always going to work to land a big shot, too, and when I do, I'm sure I'll rock him."
Coming off a TKO win over Yi Sak Lee in his UFC debut in May, Dias will look to keep the momentum going when he faces Duclos at UFC Paris on Saturday.
