Thiago Moises Has No Fear of Fighting in Enemy Territory

Thiago Moises is used to fighting through adversity, even when it comes to having an arena cheering against him.

The Accor Arena in Paris will be on fire when Moises (17-6, 6-4 UFC) walks out to take on local favorite Benoit St. Denis at UFC Fight Night 226 on Sept. 2. Still, Moises aims to remain unfazed, drawing motivation from both cheers and boos as, ultimately, it's just him against his opponent, regardless of the crowd's preferences. When asked to comment on his opponent’s fighting style, Moises acknowledged St. Denis’ well-rounded skills, especially his ground game and endurance. Moises expressed confidence that the clash would go on the mat, emphasizing his own Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and expecting his favorite submissions, the rear-naked choke and arm triangle, to play a role. Despite being the underdog, Moises brushed off the label, stating it doesn't affect him. He noted that his losses and wins have come against top-level competition, and he believed beating St. Denis would earn him a spot in the top 15 rankings.

“When people are cheering for me, of course, that gives you a lot of motivation. But when they cheer for the other guy also, I can feel this energy also, you know? At the end of the day, we're going to fight in the Octagon. It's going to be me against him. Doesn't matter if it’s in France, Brazil, or the U.S., you know? It's the same thing, it's the same fight.”

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:25) Dealing with jet lag
(00:43) Competing outside the United States
(01:18) His corner
(01:29) Aiming to explore Paris after the fight
(02:34) Preparing for St. Denis
(03:19) Commenting on St. Denis’ ground game
(03:49) Finishing Costa via submission
(04:19) His favorite submission maneuvers
(04:57) Being the underdog
(05:24) Aiming for a spot in the top 15 rankings
(05:59) Hoping to fight in Brazil
(06:55) Predicting Ciryl Gane vs. Sergey Spivak
(07:29) Whether he’s bothered the arena will be cheering against him
(08:44) Outro