Joanderson Brito: Flying Blind

The 28-year-old Brazilian will face
Ultimate Fighting Championship newcomer Westin
Wilson in a
UFC on ESPN 48 featherweight prelim this Saturday at the UFC
Apex in Las Vegas. Wilson, 34, steps in as a short-notice
replacement for Khusein
Askhabov and enters his promotional debut on the heels of three
straight victories, all of them first-round submissions. The late
change in opponent complicates matters for Brito.

“It’s going to be an interesting fight since he’s someone I don’t
really know,” he told Sherdog.com. “He’s pretty tall. I’ve been
facing taller opponents for some time now, so I don’t believe that
will be a problem. The biggest challenge is still not knowing him.
It’s going to be very interesting since I’ve been getting ready in
all areas.”

Brito has built some momentum of his own with back-to-back wins
over Andre Fili
and Lucas
Alexander. His 41-second technical knockout of
Team Alpha Male’s Fili at UFC on ESPN 35 netted him a welcomed
$50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in April 2022.

“I’m feeling well,” Brito said. “I’m well-trained and
well-prepared. I feel much more mature. My fights are a
demonstration of the type of work I’ve been doing for a long time,
beating everyone by knockout or submission. The money was a big
help, especially since I had a small son. Now, I have another.”

A talent on the rise at 145 pounds, Brito has won 12 of his past 13
bouts—a decision loss to former Ring of
Combat champion Bill Algeo in
his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 32 his lone misstep. He trains out
of a
Chute Boxe affiliate fronted by Joao Emilio in Bauru, Brazil.
Brito carries an unshakeable belief in those around him.

“We’re a great, high-performance team,” he said. “We train hard
every day.”

Those words will once again be put to the test when Brito risks his
modest two-fight winning streak against the battle-tested Wilson, a
man who has 14 first-round finishes—three of the sub-minute
variety—to his credit.

“Everyone should know that I give everything I have, from the start
to the end of every fight,” Brito said. “My goal in the
organization is to climb up to the Top 5 and make some noise. I
want all my opponents to understand that I’m always highly
determined to win.”