UFN 21 - Andre Winner welcomes a stand-up battle with Rafaello Olivera

British UFC lightweight, Andre Winner has welcomed a stand-up war with his opponent at UFC Fight Night 21 on March 31st in North Carolina, Rafaello Olivera, saying he’s prepared to stand and trade with anyone at 155 pounds.

Speaking via UFC.com, Winner said:

“I will fight any lightweight in the world in a stand-up battle. There is nobody out there at lightweight who can compete with me and box with me. I’m talking about everybody. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good guys out there at 155, but nobody I’ve seen can match me for boxing or striking in general. I would trade with all of them.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a boxer, because I think there’s more to my striking than just my hands. I enjoy boxing, though. To be honest with you, I like to watch boxing more than MMA. Often when I watch an MMA fight, the fighters make it look so hard and knackering. Sometimes I watch boxing for guys like Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones because they are so dominant and just exude confidence and skill in everything they do. Everything seems to be under control and measured with those guys. They make it look so easy. I can’t say the same about fighters in MMA. I sometimes watch MMA fighters and it reminds me of how hard my job could be. It actually makes me anxious and worried about my own fight.”

“The Delgado win was really pleasing. Nothing’s ever perfect, but it went the way I wanted it to. I’m not going to let it get to my head, though. Yeah, I knocked someone out in the first round, but people get knocked out at every event in the UFC. It’s not exactly something unique or amazing. I expect that kind of performance from myself each and every time.”

Winner was originally set to face Cole Miller on March 31st in Charlotte, North Carolina before the American Top Team trained star suffered an injury in training.

“I’d been training for a few weeks before I heard that Miller had pulled out. It was a shame, as it would have been a good fight, but these things happen in this sport. It didn’t bother me too much. In fact, it doesn’t really ever matter who I fight, as I’m one of those guys that will happily fight any lightweight in the world. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to fight the best. I want to be the best. I’m here to prove myself.”

“I didn’t know that much about Oliveira when it was announced. I’ve since done my homework and I’ve got a rough idea of what he’s all about. I’m really looking forward to it. He’s (Oliveira) an aggressive fighter, sets a good pace and has good ground skills. He’s not a technical striker and can be quite wild sometimes, but he doesn’t mind standing and banging if that’s where the fight goes. He’s got a good attitude to the fight when it’s going his way and is the kind of fighter that looks great when he’s on top.”

“I expect him to try and take me down.  may sling a few punches here and there, but he’ll want to drag me to the floor as soon as possible. He’ll then try and grab whatever he can down there. He can give it a go, but I don’t think he’s going to get any joy with those tactics. I’m a fighter, I’m ready for a war and I’m not scared to fight him anywhere. I’ll beat him wherever the fight goes.”

Winner has been preparing alongside Team Rough House stable mates, Dan Hardy and Paul Daley ahead of their pivotal welterweight clashes in the forthcoming months. Can this former “Ultimate Fighter” star get the job done and edge one step closer to a shot at the title?

By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)