Marcos Rogerio de Lima Didn’t Want An Eight-Month Hiatus

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Marcos Rogerio de Lima (13-3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) spoke about his eight-month layoff from the UFC. He last fought in August with a loss to Nikita Krylov. He will fight Clint Hester (11-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC 197 tonight. Hester vs. De Lima happens on the UFC Fight Pass preliminary card before fights on FOX Sports 1 and PPV. It airs from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

On having trouble getting a fight: “I asked to fight again immediately. Initially I was booked, but my opponent didn’t want to face me. The UFC couldn’t find a replacement. Then I got moved to Feb. 6. That didn’t happen either. I don’t know what happened there. Then I was told March 5. I kept training and waiting. Then I got moved to April 23 (UFC 197). It took some time, but now I finally get to fight. The important thing is that it happens during the first semester. I’ll try not to get hurt so I can hopefully fight three or four times this year.”

On his loss to Krylov: “Losses are there to make us stronger. I was a particular type fighter before facing Krylov. Today I’m a different fighter. I learned a lot from that. I felt I had the ability to defeat him. I started out well. I was controlling the distance. I hit him with two hard crosses before I got submitted. But he was able to withstand it. He’s very durable. But that’s a fighter’s life. Sometimes we lose. The important thing is to learn from losses. Now I’m another fighter.”

On his fight with Hester: “Clint Hester is very tough. He has great standup. He keeps good distance and moves well. He also has good takedowns. I expect we’ll have a great fight. I’m feeling happy. I’m ready. I’ve watched his fights. He’s tough and strong. He’s moving up in weight to meet me. It will be a great fight. On an event that has such a stacked card, I expect my fight to stand out. You will see my evolution. It will be a war with Clint Hester.”