After renal colic, UFC Fight Night 36's Rodridgo Damm now permanent lightweight

Rodrigo Damm said he’ll never fight at featherweight again after a horrific weight cut canceled his previous UFC bout.

Damm (11-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who is scheduled to fight Ivan Jorge (25-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at lightweight for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 36, suffered from massive hematuria (blood in urine) as well as renal colic, a severe abdominal pain that’s described as worse than that of childbirth.

“I’m now a lightweight, permanently,” Damm told MMAjunkie.  “The last nine pounds were killing me.”

Damm and Jorge meet on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed preliminary-card of the event, which takes place at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Main card fights air on FOX Sports 1.

The Brazilian veteran is confident he won’t encounter any more health problems now that he’s fighting heavier. He recently checked with doctors to make sure his body will function normally inside the octagon and received a clean bill of health.

“I did all necessary exams and everything is normal,” Damm said. “They are confident that the problem won’t be happening.”

Damm said he’s thankfully not at a disadvantage among others in the 155-pound division. His 5-foot-8 frame and 70-inch reach might not be the best in his class, but it isn’t the worst.

And despite his troubles making weight at 145 pounds, he left the division with a win, outpointing Mizuto Hirota at UFC on FUEL TV 10. So he’s starting on a good note.

“I’m looking to win again,” Damm said. “I have three fights left (on my contract). I plan to win all three so I can get near the top 10. The goal now is simply to beat my next opponent and land a spot on a main card. But I have far to go before I can even think of the belt.”

Jorge had a successful outing in his octagon debut this past September against veteran Keith Wisniewski and has won his past seven fights.

“I know him,” Damm said. “He’s a good athlete. He was a champion at Jungle Fight and won a hard-fought decision in his UFC debut. I believe we’ll have a beautiful fight. The winner will be whoever is in better shape and has better striking.”

Damm devised a gameplan for the fight at his longtime gym, Rio de Janeiro’s X-Gym, which boasts Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Erick Silva and Diego Nunes among its talent. He also spent time at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., where he worked with team patriarch Ricardo Liborio and trained with Gleison Tibau, George Sotiropoulos, Jorge Masvidal and Nik Lentz.

“My last two opponents were strikers, [Antonio Carvalho] and Hirota,” Damm said. “So my opponents should know I am ready to trade on the feet, take people down with my wrestling and also use my jiu-jitsu. I’m a complete fighter. My specialty is jiu-jitsu and wrestling, but I’m always ready to keep it standing.”

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