Rodrigo Damm promises 'kill or die' performance at UFC on FUEL TV 10

FORTALEZA, Brazil – UFC featherweight Rodrigo Damm (10-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) knows exactly what’s on the line this Saturday night, and he promises to respond accordingly.

“I learned from my errors,” Damm told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in his native Portuguese. “I’m ready now. I’m going to kill or die.”

Damm isn’t speaking literally, of course. But in a figurative fashion, his UFC life is absolutely on the line at this weekend’s UFC on FUEL TV 10 event, which takes place at Paulo Sarasate Arena in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Damm competes on the evening’s Facebook-streamed prelims against Japanese fighter Mizuto Hirota (14-6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

“I just watched his fight against Rani Yahya in Japan,” Damm said of Hirota. “I feel he’s a good kickboxer and boxer. I’m well-prepared for him. I’ve been working on my striking, wrestling and jiu-jitsu.”

Damm, a former Strikeforce fighter who was also a competitor on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” likely finds himself in a must-win situation. After earning a June 2012 win over Anistavio Medeiros at UFC 147, Damm dropped a split decision to Antonio Carvalho at UFC 154. While the result dropped him to .500 in the octagon, he’s just 2-5 in his past seven career outings, leaving him perilously close to the UFC’s cut line.

Damm said he knows what could potentially be at stake but won’t let that directly affect his approach to the fight.

“One shouldn’t worry about losing,” Damm said. “The primary concern should be to put on a great fight.

“During my first UFC fight, I submitted my opponent in the first round. And even in a loss to Carvalho, many felt I won. I felt great. I never felt tired. I’m told even Dana White enjoyed our fight. Now for my third bout, I’m coming in with something different. Fighters shouldn’t worry about being cut if they’re putting on compelling fights.”

In fairness, Hirota is in a similar position. At 0-2 under the Zuffa banner, the former DEEP lightweight champ probably needs a win to keep his spot on the UFC roster. Hirota is a capable striker with respectable defensive wrestling, as well, but Damm feels he’ll certainly have an advantage on the floor.

“We’ve put together our fight strategy,” Damm said. “I do believe that jiu-jitsu and wrestling will always be my strong points. I’ve been a jiu-jitsu black belt for a decade. I was the world Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion. I was the Brazilian wrestling champion for seven years in a row.

“Having said that, I’ve been working on improving my standup. But if he makes a mistake, a submission is guaranteed. Jiu-jitsu is in my blood.”

If nothing else, Damm will at least have home-field advantage during the fight. The Brazilian crowd, a group of fans renowned for their passion and volume, will be in full support, and unlike his opponent, Damm hasn’t flown halfway around the world for the fight.

With all those factors in his favor, Damm believes he’s destined to right the ship and rebound from his recent loss. He needs to do exactly that, and Damm said he’s willing to spill his blood in the name of victory.

“I feel I’ve done my homework,” Damm said. “I’ve learned from my last fight. I’m training hard, and I feel ready.

“It’s great to fight at home, in my time zone, my weather, my country, and the crowd in my favor. I’m ready for war.”

For the latest on UFC on FUEL TV 10, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.