Dhiego Lima Wants To Test Chad Laprise At UFC 231

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Dhiego Lima spoke about getting his career back on track and his fight with Chad Laprise tonight at UFC 231. Here are highlights:

On turning his fight career around: “I did well in both ‘TUF’ houses, but when the time came, I lost in the finales. I have only one win in the UFC in six bouts, but thankfully I’m still there. Now it’s time to change my story. The UFC also believes in me and knows my talent based on my fights on the show. I’m moving forward. I’m starting fresh again. I have a great opponent ahead of me. I want to blow things up and prove that I deserve to be there. I have a lot of faith. I have a lot of experience against very tough guys. Now I’m ready for anything. Once I start winning again, I’ll get to the top in a short time. I’m feeling pretty excited.”

On fighting Laprise: “He has great fight IQ. I like this opponent. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about a fighter who only wants to take me down this time. I can let my game flow. I wasn’t able to show much the last few times. I did drop Jesse Taylor with the one punch I landed on him. Against Okami, I didn’t even get a chance to hit him. Now I get to show what I’m capable of. I want to show my work. I want to test Chad everywhere the fight goes – wrestling, striking, or submissions. He likes to fight very nicely, in a very technical way. That’s not me. I like to make it a dogfight. I’ll be in his face the entire time. He got knocked down a few times recently. I just have to get my hands on him.”

On how a win will help him: “Beating someone like Chad, who’s close to being ranked, will be very important for me. I want to stay busy. I’m about to turn 30. I have a lot of experience in the UFC. I just need this victory so I can have a new start. Sitting around messes everything up. Next year, I’d like to fight five times on my way to the top 10. From now on, it’s only up, up and up. I believe in myself, as does the UFC. I’ll take this chance and make the most of it. I like this type of pressure. If I lose, I’m out. I fight very well when I’m under pressure, especially against a very good opponent. All the pressure is on me. I love it.”