Dhiego Lima Stepping Away From MMA, Plans To Return In 2016
Dhiego Lima dropped his last two bouts in the UFC and was released from the promotion due to his lack of performance. Mind you that those losses were knockouts.
Lima’s coach, UFC middleweight Roan Carneiro, told MMAjunkie’s John Morgan that the Lima plans to take a break from MMA then in a year or so return to the sport and expects to fight his way back to the UFC.
“He’s kind of doing the same thing I did right now,” Carneiro said. “He took like three fights too close (together) in the UFC. He learned. He lost. Right now, he’s taking himself off. He’s got a lot of promotions calling him and asking him to fight, … but right now, he’s taking care of his family, teaching, getting his grappling better.
“He’s doing the same thing I did. I said, ‘Dude, that’s experience. You still have a lot years to fight. Take your time off.’ But that didn’t come from me. It came from him.”
Lima’s coach said that Lima plans to fight in the RFL or Legacy FC promotion to regain his momentum that would ultimately lead back to his goal, which is the UFC.
“He’s going to be back next year,” Carneiro said. “Some organization like RFA, Legacy, something like that. He’s going to do some fights outside, and I guarantee you he will be back in the UFC.
“He didn’t fight 50 at percent of what he does at the gym. If he fought like 80 percent or 70 percent of what he does here in the gym, he can go really far, and I know that. I guarantee.”
Lima holds an overall 10-4 pro-MMA record and was 9-2 prior to joining the UFC. He then went 1-3 while in the UFC.
