Before Dinis “Sweetbread” Paiva returns to the CES MMA cage for the record 15th time at CES MMA 41 against Jordan Espinosa, the East Providence, R.I., product caught up with Pro MMA Now.
How happy were you to get that last victory — a first-round KO on Thanksgiving Eve after more than a year on the sideline — in before 2016 ends?
It was beautiful, man. I was looking forward to that moment for a year, and it went just as smooth as it could be. I wouldn’t change a thing.
A first-round knockout — was that the ideal outcome for your long-awaited return?
Yeah, you could say that (laughs). A finish is a finish, but getting the win from my striking is definitely a plus.
What are your thoughts on returning to action so quickly?
I’m looking forward to it more and more every day, man. Jordan Espinosa is a very worthy opponent on an impressive win streak. The closer it gets, the more excited I am. Sometimes things don’t go as you plan — I wasn’t initially planning on coming back so soon — but I’m excited to get back in there and end it, hopefully, like I did the last one.
Is Jordan the toughest opponent of your career so far?
Arguably, you could definitely say that. He’s on a great roll right now with wins coming every way. He’s never been knocked out, which is something I give him credit for. Some might say he’s my toughest opponent yet, and he’s got the record to back it up. (Laughs) Why not?
How will it feel to kick off 2017 with an early victory in January?
It will be beautiful, man. It will be a great way to kick off the year. I want to make 2017 an active year, with a lot of fights and a lot of wins. To start it off with a big victory — a big finish — will be huge. Why not start it off with a good opponent on the first card of the year (laughs)? Let’s do it, man!