After recently winning his second straight fight at CES 41 against Jordan Espinosa in Lincoln, R.I., LIVE on AXS TV Fights, Dinis “Sweetbread” Paiva, now 9-6, sat down with Pro MMA Now.
Was it disappointing not to get the finish over Jordan Espinosa at CES 41, or are you overall satisfied with your victory?
The finish is always the icing on the cake. There’s a lot I have to learn from. It was a great experience. The win is crucial because sometimes they can come few and far between, if you look at my career (laughs), and I’m happy to have my hand raised.
How does Jordan Espinosa rank in terms of toughness and skill against your other previous opponents?
Jordan is arguably the best guy I’ve fought. But everything he brought to the table, we prepared for — and I think that showed. I knew he was going to try to shoot — I knew he wouldn’t try to stand and exchange — and I was happy with how I reacted to that. To be able to overcome four or five great takedown attempts and take that solid head kick — thankfully I’ve got a cinder block for a head (laughs) — makes me really happy, even though I couldn’t finish him myself.
After so much time on the sideline, how does it feel to bounce back with two very solid back-to-back wins?
It feels great, man. I spent more than a year feeling like a loser as a fighter. Although I was winning in ways outside of the cage in life, there was definitely something missing. Now I’m back and it feels great. I’m happy, I’m proud — but there’s still a lot more that has to be done, and will be done.
What’s next?
Next? Whatever gets thrown at me, man!
[Photo courtesy Will Paul/CES MMA]