Dhiego Lima Wasn’t Having Fun in His First UFC Run

Dhiego Lima spoke with MMAjunkie about his fight with Jason Jackson at Titan FC 42 this Friday. Some highlights are below:

On his first UFC run: “It was mostly mental. I wasn’t having fun. I was too exhausted when it came time for my UFC fights. By fight week, I was so tired – I kept wishing I was home. I wasn’t enjoying myself. I had to change that. I also changed my training. I’m not wearing myself out anymore. I didn’t want to lose. In the end, I was hurting myself when training. I wasn’t taking care of my body. Everything was training, training, training – no rest. In addition to changing that, I’ve also improved my wrestling. I’ve been working a lot on that. Now I can say I’m a complete fighter. Hopefully I’ll get a call back from the UFC after I defend my belt. My career is on the right path. Now is the time to have fun.”

On his recent fights: “Sometimes when people leave the UFC, they look for easy wins. That’s not how I am. I only want to face high-level guys so I can show my work, and that I deserve to be on top. We’re going to defend the belt again, and then we’ll see what happens after.”

On wanting to make a big impression: “I probably need a finish to get back to the UFC. I’m trying. I’m fighting my hardest. The competition is good. There are no slouches. There’s been a lot of hype about him and me – mostly on him, actually. People keep saying he’s from the Blackzilians and he’s the the next to get a shot in the UFC. I know he was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ as well. He didn’t get signed afterward, so he’s looking to get back in there. We’re looking for the same thing. Hopefully the winner of this takes that next step.”