“That’s how I got into Jiu Jitsu,” Macedo said. “It’s because all the kids in Brazil want to do MMA, so we do Jiu Jitsu when we’re training to be fighters.”
Macedo’s first fight will be in the featherweight division, where he’s confident he’d have great long-term success, but it’s bantamweight where he feels most comfortable. Where most fighters seem to be deeply rooted in their “home division,” Macedo is already anticipating difficulty finding fights, and with good reason.
Having submitted the top-ranked grapplers on nearly every continent and having triathlete-level cardio, it’s easy to see why the Texas bantamweight might run and hide when his name is presented.
“I have a lot of confidence in my grappling in MMA because what helps grapplers in a fight is their stamina,” Macedo said. “You have to have good stamina. In my opinion, I have very good stamina. I have been training with fighters in this gym for a long time. I feel like what happens in a fight is you double down on someone who’s strong, and you’ll feel a bit intimidated if you don’t have good stamina.
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