The career of the fighter Laureano “Pepi” Staropoli (29) is booming, despite being disconnected from last year UFC after getting four losses in a row. The platense, who has a record of 15 wins and 5 losses, will play his second game Ares Combat Championship a French MMA championship created in 2019.
He found in France a compass to point to and a place to make his dreams grow. Live in Paris, train MMA factory from Fernando Lopez (gym where he passed, for example the absolute champion of the UFC, Francis Ngannou) and on Thursday 3 November he will face the Italian Leonardo Damiano (11G-4P-1E).
Pepi had had a more than promising debut in the UFC, racking up two wins by unanimous decision. The first in the landing of the company in Buenos Aires in 2017, in what was a real war against the Mexican Hector Aldana for which they won the bonus of 50 thousand dollars for the best match of the night, and in their second match against the Brazilian Thiago Alves in Rio de Janeiro.
But then he had four straight losses against Muslim Salikhov (October 2019), Tim means (August 2020), Roman Dolidze (June 2021) e Jamie Pickett (October 2021), all losses by unanimous decision of the judges.
Far from being angry at not renewing his contract, in a dialogue with Clarín he was more than grateful to the leading MMA event organizer: “I left the UFC because of my consequences and not because of the UFCI thank you for giving me the opportunity and I hope one day to be able to enter again “.
In ARES he found himself renewed as a fighter. In April of this year he beat Carlo Booth on his debut and will now have his second fight. Also, he has a contract for three more fights.
– How did you experience the transition from UFC to ARES?
– It was very good because I continued to fight in a big league, with elite athletes all over the world, from the European elite. And the organization is very good and treats the fighters just like the UFC.
– Do you notice any differences between the two promoters?
– The biggest difference is the range. The UFC is a company already established all over the world and the other is in the start-up phase, it does not have so much diffusion.
– A few days after your second fight there: how did you experience the first victory?
– I felt very happy and, at first, a little nervous because I wanted to stop the bad streak I had come with. Now, for this fight, I feel much calmer.
– What did you analyze about your rival?
– My opponent is a very tough, very strong rival. He is a wrestler, even though he knows a little bit of everything even with shots. He is a great fighter and it will be a great fight. I really like it because this could also be the fight of the night, because we are two competitors who will go out in search of victory.
– The four losses in a row in the UFC were by decision. Is it a consolation not to be eliminated or finished?
– I don’t know if it’s a consolation, I wouldn’t call it that. I am a fighter who goes to the end. To win me you have to kill me because if you don’t, you won’t take the win like that.
– How do you see MMA in France?
– They are growing by leaps and bounds. I, for example, have not only teammates from France but also from Dagestan, Chechnya … incredible fighters at European level. It is growing a lot.
– How are you with your tongue?
– I don’t speak French, I’m learning. But I communicate in English. In addition to Portuguese and Spanish, I have the tools to be able to communicate with the whole world.
Source: Clarin
