Rafael Natal is not pleased with his performance following his unanimous decision loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC 197. In a fight that took place entirely in the stand up, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt told Combate he regrets not taking it to the ground.
“It was such a tough fight. He’s a very tough guy, but I was already expecting that. All rounds were close, but he was able to win the first and the third in the last 30 seconds, with a hook in the first and a kick in the third. If I had gotten a takedown, I would’ve have won those rounds. He was better that night, but I guess I should have used my jiu-jitsu more. Some people told me I should have tried more takedowns, but his defense is different because he’s not like a wrestler, he does it with his footwork.”
Now looking to rebound in the near future, Natal would welcome a fight in his home country of Brazil or in the New York card, which is where he currently lives and trains.
“It’s a big dream for any fighter to be on the New York card, and so is to be on a Brazilian one. The problem about fighting in Brazil is that you have to pay too many taxes, but of course it would be my pleasure to fight there if I got the call from the UFC.”
The loss to Robert Whittaker snapped a four-fight winning streak that dated back to September 2014, with wins over the likes of Chris Camozzi, Tom Watson, Uriah Hall and Kevin Casey.
About the author
