5 Questions: Efrain Escudero

Former TUF victor prepares to face Brazilian newcomer at UFC Fight Night 22

Efrain Escudero faces off against Charles Oliveira next Wednesday night in Austin in the co-headlining bout of the Spike-televised UFC Fight Night 22 event. He recently participated in a media conference call to discuss the Oliveira bout, his progression as a fighter, the change from his original opponent in Matt Wiman and more.

1. What does Efrain think about his fight with Charles Oliveira?

I think it’s a great fight. I think it’s going to be an excellent fight. It’s his time to shine. He’s coming off a good win, and he’s trying to move up the ladder. So for the two of us to step into the Octagon, I think it’s going to be a really good fight.”

2. How far does Efrain think he has progressed since The Ultimate Fighter?

I started out solely being a wrestler. It’s been two years now. I switched camps and everything, and I’ve been working a lot on my jiujitsu and my standup. I’ve been stuck in the gym since The Ultimate Fighter. And I think it’s been showing throughout my fights, and I expect a good fight on September 15.

3. Efrain’s thoughts on losing his first fight to Evan Dunham.

I never put a lot of pressure on being undefeated, but being undefeated does put a lot of pressure on you because you’re always trying to be on top. I always said I would put the records aside, but at the end of the day it does actually play a good role. And now that I’ve got that first loss out of my way, it’s one of those things where I got caught making a mistake. I do blame a lot of it on my cardio. But I wish Dunham the best. He capitalized on my mistakes. I think I’ve gained more from that loss than I would have gained from a victory.

4. How much did the change of opponents from Matt Wiman to Charles Oliveira affect Efrain’s preparation for this fight?

I didn’t really pay much attention to it. It was a month out from the fight when it happened, so I had enough time to prepare. Everything moved quickly, and we’re more worried about what we’re bringing to the table and not what they’re going to bring. We’re making them fight our fight, and we’re going out there to do our job.åç

5. What kind of standards is Efrain putting on himself as an MMA fighter?

I’m trying to meet all expectations that are out there. Every time I step in the Octagon, I want to give the best fight and put on the best performance. I believe a lot in my training camp. We have worked extremely hard for this. So I’m actually looking forward to this fight, you know? We’ve done everything and we’ve worked on everything. This is MMA, and we’ve got to be on top of the world at every single level so we can continue moving on.