Diego Brandao will be feeling nostalgic as he re-enters the Palms Casino Resort on Saturday night to defend his Tough-N-Af featherweight belt against Kai Kamaka.
Brandao, who was looking to “rebuild my life” when he quit Russian MMA and re-entered the U.S. regional circuit earlier this year, has since defended his 145-pound title with two spectacular knockouts over rising prospects Jamie Siraj and Kanan Kanan Kawaihae.
On Saturday, he headlined Tough ‘n’ Aff 149 at the same casino where he gave Dennis Bermudez his 14th season win. ultimate fighter Back in 2011.
“I am fighting where I am (tough) where I became a champion, where I made my family proud and where I bought my mother a house,” Brandao told MMA Fighting. It’s going to be at the UFC level, and I want to go to the UFC. This is my chance. This fight is for my family and to earn my spot in the UFC. In my head this is ultimate fighter Finale. ”
“I’m really excited to defend my belt for the second time,” he continued. “The confidence the promotion has shown me, the opportunities they’ve given me, there’s no way I can take that for granted. I have everything I need to put on a show. There’s no other way to get back to the UFC. I’m just going to be devastated. They threw prospects my way, so I’m really fired up for this fight.”
Brandao was expecting to meet with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby after his recent knockout loss. Instead of sitting back and waiting to hear back, he chose to keep the momentum going in 2025. His previous opponents are coming off long winning streaks, with UFC veteran Kamaka entering the cage with a record of 6-1 in Bellator and 2-1 in the PFL.
“We were told that if anyone got hurt, we would call them,” Brandao said. “I was nervous at first, but then I decided to focus on my life and my training. If something is meant to happen, it will happen. My name is already on their table. Everything will happen in God’s time.”
“I’m focused on the UFC because I think I still have a lot of fights left. There are some guys I want to fight there, but I think they’re too good, so I won’t say their names anymore. I went to the UFC first and had better wins, more bonuses, more money than those guys, but I’m staying quiet. Just fight. When I get there, I’ll talk about them.”
Brandao has been in the UFC for many years, amassing a 6-4 record inside the Octagon with high-profile bouts against Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. The 38-year-old veteran, who trains with Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn in Albuquerque, is confident he can do well in his return to the UFC.
“It’s going to be emotional coming back,” Brandao said. “I’m coming back for a championship. If I step into the UFC again, I can be a champion. I have Steve Garcia and Aaron Pico in the gym here, and I train with them, and I think if I go back to the UFC, I’ll have a better chance of getting a shot at the belt. Not because I’m better than my training partners, but I think they still need to prove themselves a little bit more to get to the top.” 13. I believe that if I have one or two good fights in the UFC, I can reach the belt faster. ”