Thales Leites Talks About His Recent Losses

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Thales Leites (25-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) spoke about his recent setbacks in the UFC and his fight with Chris Camozzi (24-10 MMA, 9-7 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 92. The fight happens this Saturday on FOX Sports 1 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. Here are highlights:

On his recent setbacks: “The more you win, the tougher the competition gets. I fought Michael Bisping to a split decision, which means that either one of us could have won. Though, after that, I clearly lost to Gegard Mousasi. He dominated that fight. But these things happen. I’ve watched my errors many times. I know what went wrong. I’m working hard not to commit the same errors. That’s how we learn. These things happen in life and especially in our sport. It’s an individual sport. There are two high-level athletes in the cage – two human beings. Whoever makes the least mistakes and is more aggressive has the greater chance of winning.”

On not dwelling on his problems: “At no time have I felt unmotivated. I’m ready and very confident for my next fight. I’ll keep moving forward. There’s no such thing a time machine. No one has ever been able to go back in time to fix anything. So we work for a better future. Ours is in individual sport, where anything can happen. I’m focused and ready, and I’ll be victorious this time. I’m sure of that.”

On not letting his problems get to him: “Thales isn’t dead. I’m still training and fighting. This is a minor setback that I’ll put behind me with another victory. I think about things one fight at a time. My plan is always to focus on my next fight and win. Of course, I’m fighting so I can have another title shot and hopefully win it. I have faith that I can get there. But it is an arduous path. There are many people with the same intent. A place in the sun isn’t for everyone, but we’re going after that. We’ll reassess things after this next fight.”