UFC 133 – Rani Yahya pouring his efforts into his striking game despite being a submission specialist

UFC featherweight submission wizard, Rani Yahya has revealed he’s dedicated himself to his striking game ahead of his UFC 133 clash with Chad Mendes next weekend in Philadelphia, this despite being one of the best submission fighters in the 145 pound division.
Speaking via UFC.com, Yahya said:

“I train striking much more than submissions, but my natural skills on the ground develop themselves naturally. I have fights where I come in with a striking game plan and the match goes to the ground. That fight against Brown is a good example. People comment that it is easy to avoid a tie up, but if it’s not. Fighters spend a lot of energy trading shots on the feet and then end up clinching. The Octagon facilitates this because you can drag the guy against the fence at different moments.”

When asked about his title aspirations ahead of this fight at UFC 133 next weekend, Yahya said:

“I’m looking for it. But a lot of people have been talking about it [title contention], and I’m not letting it influence my mindset now. My head is locked in on one thing, and my only focus is to win the fight.”

Yahya made his octagon debut on the UFC Fight Night 23 card in January, defeating former WEC 145 pound champion, Mike Brown via unanimous decision. The win put him back on track after losing back-to-back fights with the WEC.