Despite recent setbacks, Rafaello Oliveira promises to shine at UFC 170

Rafaello Oliveira knows his UFC 162 loss to Edson Barboza wasn’t his best effort. But even at a disappointing 1-3 in his past four appearances, “Tractor” hasn’t changed his goals.

“My long-term goals are to be one of the top fighters in the lightweight division, to be remembered as a great fighter, and to have a shot at capturing the belt,” Oliveira told MMAjunkie in his native Portuguese.

Oliveira’s most recent appearance was that July loss to Barboza in which he was chopped down with his countryman’s signature leg kicks. In retrospect, Oliveira believes his team spent too much time focusing on some of Barboza’s other tools, which ultimately cost him.

“I believe that I and my team made a mistake when choosing a strategy against Barboza,” Oliveira said. “We were more concerned with his spinning kicks and less worried about leg strikes. I actually did practice defending low kicks, but unfortunately I didn’t have any sparring partners who could kick like him. So credit goes to Edson Barboza. I wasn’t able to react because he’s so fast and precise.”

Oliveira (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) returns to action on Saturday night at UFC 170, which takes place at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. He faces Erik Koch (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on the night’s UFC Fight Pass-streamed prelims, which precede the FOX Sports 1-broadcast prelims and pay-per-view main card.

The lightweight matchup sees Koch moving up from 145 pounds, and Oliveira believes that will play a major factor in the contest.

“I think Erik is a great athlete,” Oliveira said. “He’s moving up in weight class to face me, from featherweight to lightweight. And both Francisco Rivera and Raphael Assuncao, whom he beat, are currently bantamweights.

“I respect him. He was a top featherweight. But I think he’ll feel the difference when he debuts as a UFC lightweight.”

While Koch is a capable striker who boasts “Knockout of the Night” bonuses in both UFC and WEC competition, he brings a different set of skills to the cage than a pure specialist like Barboza. And while most of Koch’s career wins have come via submission, Oliveira said he’s not worried about either aspect of the game and is instead looking to move forward from the opening bell.

“We’ll start on the feet and let’s see what happens,” Oliveira said. “I’m ready to trade on the feet and put pressure on him. Expect me to be very aggressive. I’m looking forward to bringing this victory back to Brazil.”

And a victory is a must if Oliveira hopes to continue on his chosen path. The 32-year-old Brazilian knows exactly what’s at stake.

“I’m about to have my eighth bout in the UFC, but I’m not satisfied,” Oliveira said. “I know I can perform a lot better than I have in the past. And that’s what I aim to show in my next fight.”

For the latest on UFC 170, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.