With only 11 days left before he steps back into the cage, Marco “Machete” Viedas can’t wait for the bell to ring and the action to begin at Battlefield 35, March 28 at the River Rock Casino in Richmond.
Machete (two wins, one loss) will step back into the cage for the first time in nine months, looking to get back in the win column after suffering the first loss in his MMA career.
Viedas will take on Bryann “The Wrecking Ball” Gall (two wins, one loss) in featherweight action.
“I can’t wait to get in there, I’m ready,” Viedas said. “It’s been a lot of training and hard work and now I’m just ready to step back in that cage and let it all out.”
“I’m not going to take another loss and make it two in a row, I’m going to get back on the winning side of things and give the people there a good show.”
Making the change from bantamweight, where Viedas would have to cut weight to get down to 135 lbs., to featherweight (between 136 and 145 lbs.) has helped tremendously, not only from a physical stand point but a mental one as well.
It’s something Machete, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Sunday, has noticed this time around in his training routine and preparation leading up to the fight.
“It’s been a big help,” Viedas said. “Knowing that I don’t have to cut all that extra weight after all this training really makes things a lot easier. Especially in my mind, because before it was always in the back of my mind, making sure I do enough to cut weight and make that weight.”
“Now I can just focus on everything else and know that I’m right where I want to be with everything I’m doing and not have to worry about having to cut much weight, if any.”
Viedas has had the help of Mark Urquhart, Body Basix in Parksville, for his dieting and helping with his strength and flexibility training as well.
It’s something new that was incorporated to Viedas’s game plan and it’s been helping him more than he could have imagined.
“The difference has been huge,” Viedas said.“Having Mark there to make sure I’m sticking to it and then all the other things he’s been helping out with on the physical side of training has been amazing,” Viedas said.
“He’s helped me to the point where I feel good going into whatever training I’m doing, whether it’s cardio or working on my technique, anything I do I’m coming into it and feeling really good about where I’m at.”
Finding out that the ground and pound aspect of MMA will be legal for his upcoming fight, Machete is excited about the new addition to his arsenal and will be looking to utilize it to his advantage.
“In previous fights, I had no problem getting guys to the ground,” Machete said.
“Now when I get him down to the ground, I can let the fists fly and it’s all within the rules. It’s exciting knowing that I can use that to my advantage and I’m going to make sure I make the most of it when I can.”