Like his opponent at UFC 155, Tim Boetsch, Constantinos Philippou doesn't like to toot his own horn and talk his way into a fight. "Costa" will take any fight, anywhere at anytime.
That's the type of attitude that earned him a spot on this weekend's (Dec. 29, 2012) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) year-end event against "The Barbarian" after Philippou's teammate, Chris Weidman -- who was originally set to tango against Boetsch -- came down with an injury that forced him off the card.
Much like Boetsch, Philippou is also often the odd man out in a talent-filled middleweight division that includes the likes of Vitor Belfort, Michael Bisping, Mark Munoz and the aforementioned Weidman.
"Costa," a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who perhaps lacks the name value and popularity to be mentioned among those names, has slowly, but surely, been racking up the wins inside the Octagon, collecting four straight since dropping his debut with the promotion back in 2011 to Nick Catone.
One of the things that baffles "Costa" is the reason so many of the aforementioned 185-pound fighters are arguing as to who gets to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva next. "Costa," for one, admits he isn't ready to face a champion the caliber of "The Spider" just yet.
He recently revealed to MMAFighting.com:
"They're arguing over who's going to fight Anderson Silva? I don't want to fight that guy. Are you kidding me? I don't want to fight him. I'd actually argue just to stay away from that guy."
Of course, the comment was only half-serious as Philippou says he would definitely take a bout against the Brazilian bomber if it came to him, but he isn't the type to go chasing and begging for a title fight because, according to him, being a champion has never been on his goal list:
"I don't care. If it happens, good. And if not ..."
The former professional boxer says he will simply keep fighting, keep winning and, eventually, people will know who he is -- and when the time is right and if and when the call comes -- he will take the bout against Silva, but it all starts with beating "The Barbarian" in Las Vegas, Nevada:
"If I beat Tim Boetsch, I'm going to make them know me. Then I'll keep fighting. Eventually, if you beat everybody else and Anderson Silva is the only one left, they're going to have to give you the fight. I don't want to argue my way to anything. That's not me. Give me an opponent and let me fight."
How about it Maniacs, can Phillippou have a breakout performance against Boetsch, a man who is currently enjoying a breakout year of his own?