Dhiego Lima has turned his career around over his past two fights.
After being released from the UFC for going 1-3 in his first four contests, Lima returned to the promotion after a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 25.” The losing streak continued as he lost back-to-back bouts against Jesse Taylor and Yushin Okami.
However, Lima’s luck changed with a single punch at UFC 231 in December. An underdog, the Brazilian welterweight hammered Chad Laprise with a brutal punch to earn the first-round knockout victory. In April, Lima continued his success when he defeated longtime UFC vet Court McGee by split decision.
The victories earned Lima a new UFC deal.
At UFC 243, Lima (14-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) looks to make it three-for-three when he takes on home-country opponent Luke Jumeau (13-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the main card.
UFC 243 takes place Saturday at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
MMA Junkie recently caught up with Dhiego Lima ahead of the fight. Check out the Q&A on the pages that follow.
After so many setbacks, you just scored two high-profile wins. How does it feel?
“I couldn’t be happier. I lost two ‘TUF’ finales, but my last two bouts were wins over two ‘TUF’ champions. I feel really happy. Everything happens when it’s supposed to. I wasn’t supposed to win before, so I didn’t. Now, I’m coming off two wins. It’s God’s plan. I’m feeling great. I was feeling very comfortable against Court McGee. And he’s someone you can’t underestimate. He goes hard. I knew he’d be hard to finish. Out of some 30 fights, he’s only been finished once.
“Our game plan worked out perfectly. We hit him, backed off, and defended takedowns. I wanted to show my improved wrestling. He went zero for eight on takedown attempts. In each fight, I show something different. I was very glad with my performance. Now we’re off to the next one. ”
Luke Jumeau will most likely have a lot of local support. Does it matter to you?
“All the pressure is on him. He’s fighting in his backyard, in front of 60,000 people. The more the fans boo me, the more energy I’ll have. But it may not go that way. People seem to like me everywhere I go. I’m a happy guy. For me, it doesn’t matter if I’m fighting at home or not. I beat Chad Laprise in Canada.
“Once we’re in the cage, it’s just the two of us. And Luke will have been away from the cage for a year and a half, by the time we fight. I don’t know if he’ll have right rust, but I expect he’ll have to deal with a lot of emotions. I, on the other hand, have been staying active. Like I said, the pressure is on him.”
What can you say about your next opponent? How do you see the fight going?
“He’s mostly a striker. I believe he’s been living in Thailand. His muay Thai is very calm. He has good kicks and punches. He keeps distance well, despite being a bit smaller than me. It’s going to be a great fight. We were booked against each other because the UFC knows we both are going to fight hard. There’s no other option.
“I don’t think Luke’s ground game has been tested in the UFC. Maybe I’ll take him down. We’ll see. I’ve studied his fights. We’re going to put on a show. I know he’s tough, but we’ve seen a lot of holes in his game. I’m working with my team with that in mind. I’ll look for a KO or submission. It’s how I always fight. That’s never going to change.”
Details about your training camp?
“My camp has been in Atlanta, as usual. My brother Douglas is getting ready for a rematch with Rory MacDonald later in October. We train with Roan ‘Jucao’ Carneiro. Tony Martin has joined us, as well as Bevon Lewis and Michael Graves. We plan to finish out my camp in Thailand, so we’re closer to Australia. I’ll be super ready.”
Plans for the future?
“I take it one step at a time. My ultimate goal is the belt, of course. But I’ve only beat two opponents in a row so far. I’d like to keep facing tougher guys, and getting into the rankings eventually. I’m not in a rush. I’ve been in this game for some time now. I know what I need to do. It will take time. I’m out of my ‘TUF’ contract, and I’ve signed a new UFC contract. I’ll show that I deserve to be here. My only goal right now is to keep winning. And I’ll gladly jump on any short-notice opportunity against a ranked guy.”
