The 27-year-old debutant was a two-division champion under the Oktagon MMA banner and one of the most sought after prospects competing outside of the sport’s biggest promotion. Born in Guinea and residing in Belgium, Keita has amassed a 16-1 record, with his lone setback coming as a result of an injury, and his run of five victories since that lone stumble have many eager to see how he looks in his debut against the seasoned, 11th-ranked Brazilian on Saturday.
“I went through a little of the same,” Pitbull said, recognizing the similarities in their situations when asked about being the man to welcome Keita to the UFC. “When I fought Yair Rodriguez, he was ranked in the Top 5 and I wasn’t ranked at all coming into the UFC, and he accepted it. “I understand the UFC, he’s a very well-regarded guy here in Europe, and I’m welcoming him into the UFC.”
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Having gone through the experience himself and acknowledged that there is an adjustment process when you first touch down on the biggest stage in the sport, Pitbull intends to leverage the fact that he’s been through it and that Keita is fighting as close to home as possible in his favor when they step in against one another this weekend.
“For sure!” he said enthusiastically when asked about using the lessons he’s gleaned from his own debut experience to heap added pressure on the shoulders of the highly regarded newcomer. “He’s fighting at home, he’s gonna have all his friends and teammates around here and there is gonna be that pressure on him, so yeah, I intend on using that pressure against him.”
