Cody Stamann plans to show Luan Lacerda “there are levels to this game” at UFC 283: “I’m going to set this kid down early and eventually get him out of there”

Cody Stamann didn’t want to go to Brazil to fight a UFC newcomer, but that’s the fight he was offered.

After Stamann knocked out Eddie Wineland in June in less than a minute, he wanted a quick turnaround. Yet, for different reasons, it never came to fruition and he was then offered UFC newcomer, Luan Lacerda at UFC 283 which he accepted.

“I’ve been begging for a fight for like six months,” Stamann said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I thought I was fighting in November, it didn’t pan out and they said don’t worry something is going to pop up in December and I started seeing these cards get full. Then, I started seeing people get booked in February and March and I was like what is going on, why is nothing coming up? So, this was just the first fight that I got offered that got locked down and I took it. I wanted to be active, I wanted to get one more in last year but this is the first opportunity I had.”

Although Cody Stamann didn’t expect to fight a UFC newcomer, after looking Lacerda up, he got more confident in the matchup. The American believes Lacerda is only dangerous on the ground. With that, he expects to keep it standing and prove there are levels to this.

“I definitely didn’t think (I’d be fighting a newcomer),” Stamann said. “I was just begging and begging, so they said they have this one guy, a super dangerous BJJ guy making his debut in Brazil. Maybe they were surprised I said yeah, let’s go, but I have kind of been that my entire UFC career. I’ve never shied away from a challenge.

“They are really confident in this kid’s skills, I didn’t see it when I watched him. He looks like every other f*****g Brazilian fighter I’ve seen fight,” Stamann added. “They all fight exactly the same, flat-footed as f**k, going for leg locks, good on the ground. When you fight in Brazil, you don’t know what Americans fight like. You don’t understand the wrestling game which is why all the really good Brazilians come to the US to train. We are just better at that shit up here. I think he is going to realize there are levels to this game and we are not on the same level.”

Should Stamann keep it standing at UFC 283 as he expects, ‘Spartan’ is confident he will be able to outstrike Luan Lacerda. Once he begins to outstrike the Brazilian, he believes Lacerda will start to quit which is when he will get the stoppage win.

“I think I’m going to set this kid down early and eventually get him out of there. Or, it’s going to be a striking clinic. I’m going to put my hands on this kid and it’s going to be 15 minutes of him trying to figure out what the f**k is going on,” Stamann said. “I don’t see it going any other way. Maybe he gets ahold of my leg a couple of times, anti-grappling is a lot easier, I’m not going to grapple the kid. I’m not going to shoot double legs, I know how dangerous he is on the ground. Ultimately, I’m the better wrestler and I can decide where this fight takes place.”

Should Stamann get another stoppage win and extend his win streak to two, he isn’t sure what would be next for him. Instead, he says the goal is to fight a few more times outside of the rankings and start a winning streak.

“I don’t really give a shit about the numbers. I can be number 11, 12 in the world but I have to fight 13-15 and they might be the best fighter in the world at the time. I’d rather fight a couple of times out of the rankings, pop in the ranking, and go for someone big and make a statement,” Stamann concluded.

Do you think Cody Stamann will beat Luan Lacerda at UFC 283?