CES MMA welterweight champion Vinicius De Jesus believes he’s close to making the jump to the big leagues – whether it be the UFC or Bellator.
With a win over Chris Lozano (10-4 MMA) at Saturday night’s CES MMA 58, de Jesus (8-2 MMA) hopes to punch his ticket to a major promotion. The event takes place at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn. and streams live on UFC Fight Pass.
The fight with Lozano will be de Jesus’ first title defense for CES. In his last outing at CES 55, de Jesus defeated surging Philadelphian Jeremiah Wells by unanimous decision.
Catch up with “The Brazilian Bad Boy” before he goes for his ninth pro victory at CES MMA 58:
You just captured the CES welterweight belt, and now you’re scheduled to defend. Can you talk about that?
This is a great moment in my career. We’re getting closer to the goals we set for ourselves a year ago. I’m 100 percent motivated to face all challenges. I’m very happy to have a strong and committed team around me that shares my goals. Previously, I had only fought twice in two years. I had my first Bellator bout in 2016, followed by my first child. Then I fought a year later. On that fight, unfortunately, the judges awarded the decision to my opponent.
After my second child, I was away for another year. When I came back, in 2018, and beat Tim Caron, I was already very focused on staying active and getting to the big show – the UFC or a main card in Bellator. Now I’m much closer to reaching that. We’re already reaping some rewards. By the end of the year, we’ll assess how far we’ve come with this renewed focus. Nothing outside of fighting – whether family, business, or other problems – has distracted me from my objectives. We’ll get there, despite whatever life throws at us.
How has your life changed since winning the belt? How would you rate your performance?
It was awesome to win the main event at CES MMA, with all eyes on us through UFC Fight Pass. I’m reaching more fans. More people are getting to know me. This is very gratifying – to see the rewards of my hard work. Honestly, my main incentive to win the title at the time was that I needed the money. I can’t say I was extremely happy with the way I won. I spent a lot of time hunting my opponent, looking for a knockout. I chose not to go to the ground. I spent five rounds throwing a barrage of punches and kicks. I moved forward the entire time, and didn’t give him any breathing room. But the knockout didn’t come. Now I’m working to further improve my technique, which includes putting emphasis back on my jiu-jitsu. I want to do everything possible to improve. My priority now is to defend my belt in impressive fashion, and make my mark as the CES welterweight champion, without leaving any doubt.
How do you like being in CES?
I couldn’t be happier at CES. They’ve always treated me very well, ever since they reached out to me to join the organization with an immediate title shot. I felt very positive about it, even though it was on short notice. I had just fought at Bellator. I rested for a week, and went back to training. The president and all the organization staff treat me very respectfully. They’re always available for anything. After I won the belt, things only improved. Now I’m looking to further consolidate my position as champion. My performance is key. I have to use all weapons in my arsenal to put on a great performance.
If I get called to the big show, if I get a call from Dana White, once I set foot in the UFC, it will be hard to get me out. We know there’s a lot of competition to get into the UFC. It’s necessary to network, to finish opponents, and to show them you’re worth the investment. Now, I have a tough opponent, with a lot of great experience. Even though he’s only fought once since 2012, I expect him to be highly motivated. I’ll look for a finish, without exposing myself. And if the UFC doesn’t call, that’s fine. I can keep fighting. And I’d be glad on be on a Contender Series card to earn my spot. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the present and looking to always improve.
What can you say about your opponent?
(Chris Lozano) has a lot of experience. He also likes to KO his opponents. That’s the kind of opponent I need. There was another fighter, who is a UFC veteran, who didn’t want to face me. So, Chris Lozano was chosen. It’s going to be a great fight. We’re both hungry for a win. I never play when it comes to fighting. This is my job. It’s how I put food on the table. It doesn’t matter if my opponent hasn’t fought in a while, or if he’s on a great winning streak. Once we are locked in the cage, we’re going to war. We all know what we signed up for. Just like in my recent fights, when I moved up to middleweight, I’m always up for a challenge. No one should underestimate me. If you make that mistake, I’ll make you pay. I’m very happy to have Chris in front of me. I expect to put on a show.
How do you see this bout playing out? How’s your training going?
For this fight, I’m looking for precision, versatility, and creativity. All strikes will be thrown with the goal of inflicting maximum damage. I’ll be looking for his chin. If we hit the mat, I’ll pressure him and control him with my technique, and look to submit him. I’m not sure how the fight will end, but I’m bringing my arts. I’ll let things flow. I just know it’s going to be a war. He’ll be trying his best to knock me out. I’ll have to use all my weapons.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan is to not let any opportunities escape me, and to always do what’s best for me and my family. I’ll do the possible and impossible to make that happen. If I get to a big promotion sooner, or even if it’s later, regardless, I’m putting in the work.
