"He has good momentum" - Walter Goncalves stacks praise on 'motivated' Aliff ahead of ONE 169 meeting
Walter Goncalves is expecting a tough fight in his next outing at ONE 169 where he has his mind set on one specific goal.
The Brazilian is looking to return to the win column by any means necessary, but he knows that this won't be easy considering the opponent that he has drawn.
On Nov. 8 inside Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium, Goncalves will move down a weight class with Aliff Sor Dechapan welcoming him to strawweight.
Both men have faced tough opposition during their time under the ONE Championship banner.
Aliff was able to get a big bounce-back win last time out when he stopped Zakaria El Jamari in the first round at ONE Fight Night 24.
As a result, it would appear that the momentum is on his side coming into this one, where Walter Goncalves is looking to turn his trajectory around.
This is something that the former flyweight striker picked out when previewing the fight in a recent interview with ONE Championship:
"He has already faced very good opponents. He has good momentum, so he is motivated."
Walter Goncalves has been tested at the very highest level
Walter Goncalves may be winless in his last three outings under the ONE Championship banner, but he certainly hasn't had it easy.
Sharing the ring with world champions like Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 led to setbacks and losses on his record.
However, these experiences will have also taught the Brazilian a lot about his own capabilities and where he can improve.
Aliff has also been tested against high-level opposition and although he may have a far better record during his time under the ONE Championship banner, he hasn't gone against a murderers row in the same way that Goncalves has.
We will find out whether this ends up benefitting the new arrival in the strawweight division on Nov. 8.