Marco Tulio had to go through “the world’s most difficult job interview” twice to earn a contract in the UFC. Now he’s focused on showing his skills inside the octagon.
The Chute Boxe Diego Lima middleweight debuts against Ihor Potieria at UFC Vegas 101 on Saturday after a pair of Contender Series wins over Yousri Belgaroui and Matthieu Duclos and feels extra confident after surviving the pressure of performing for a deal in front of UFC CEO Dana White and company matchmakers.
“I’ve fought guys with names in the past, like ex-UFC Glaico [Franca] and even Yousri, who has all this hype because of his name and proved that hype doesn’t make any different,” Tulio told MMA Fighting. “It’s two men in there and what speaks louder is fight IQ and skills. I was never impressed by hype. You see guys that are hyped in the UFC but don’t deliver all that when it’s time to fight.”
Tulio has won eight in …