No crying and lamenting. Fired from UFC last week, Thomas almeida did not appear upset with the company. In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS, the bantamweight (up to 61,2kg) surprised by saying that he agrees with the organization's decision, revealed that he was already aware that he would be dismissed and showed that he was in no rush to decide his future. Check out this and other excerpts from the chat.
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"I already knew. We had already talked to Sean Shelby (responsible for matchmaking in the UFC) specifically. He talked to me, explained his side and I completely understood. They (UFC) are a company and the company that sees results. My last four results were not positive. He said he would release me, so I could fight outside the UFC, regain my confidence and get back on the path to victory. I understand, they were very honest and I prefer it that way. There's no such thing as 'waving around', it's 'black and white'. The UFC is a company, they aim for profit, they aim for results and I didn’t show that in my last fights.”
In a hurry to decide the future?
“First I have to go out, review, get my head straight, see what I'm going to do now, which is still unknown to me. So if I want to return to the UFC, I have to work hard to do so. There may be other opportunities, but at the moment I'm just thinking about training and deciding what I'm going to do without rushing.”
Was the dismissal fair?
“Like I said, I need results and I didn’t show those results. Sean Shelby turned to me and said, 'Dude, we really like you, but we need you to get a win. Go there, we'll release you, fight any event and then you'll come back here'. I understand their side as a company, I'm not going to cry. I'm going up, how I've always treated my life'.
What went wrong in the UFC?
“Honestly, my team and I don’t think much about it (what went wrong in the UFC). What was supposed to happen happened. Let's think about what lies ahead, think about now, what needs to be improved and 'let's go for it'. No thinking about what could have been done because that is all in the past. What lies ahead is what I can control.”
Most important moment of your time in Ultimate?
“What I’m going to tell my children and grandchildren is the day I met the Mike Tyson. After a 'Knockout of the Night' (award). It was the first time I went to (Las) Vegas, I fought at UFC 189, I took some good hits there, I was awake and managed to turn the fight around. The opportunity to get to know the Mike Tyson It was better than winning the fight. I was able to exchange a few words with him, I was very shy at the time, I didn't know what to say to the guy, but just being there, shaking his hand, taking a photo, was worth the whole trip.”
Importance of the mental side in martial arts?
“Yes, I see a psychologist here in São Paulo, who does an excellent job. I left this aside for a long time, I thought it was nonsense, but it really is a very important thing. The head is what controls everything, you can be super well trained, with desire, without injury, but if the head is not in conjunction with the whole body, if you are not working well, you throw everything away, all your hours of training. ”.
Where do you plan to fight now?
“I was talking about this in training with a friend of mine, I really want to do a muay-thai fight. I've fought a lot and I miss it, I think it's a cool thing and it would put me in the rhythm without compromise. I want to fight jiu-jitsu too, I was already fighting, but now I want to do it more often. Now, to talk about a specific event now, I don’t have to talk about it yet.”
Planning to change divisions?
"No. I think bantamweight for me is ideal. I've thought about this, especially on my return (against Jhonatan Martinez, in October 2020) it crossed my mind a lot to stay in the top category (featherweight), however, I feel weaker, lower compared to the other fighters, So I’m going to have to keep cutting weight, I won’t be able to escape it.”
Do you dream of returning to Ultimate?
“Man, if I tell you that the UFC isn't good, I'll be lying. I always wanted to be there, I always wanted to win the belt at the event which, for me, is the biggest in the world. But nowadays, I've already been there, so I don't have that obligation. If I'm there, great, I want to win and get the belt. But if something better comes along for me at the moment, I won’t rule anything out.”
Do you continue training after being fired?
“I'm always training, I never stop. I really like training, it does me a lot of good. Free from injuries, of course, there is always one or the other because of the contact training, which is very intense, but it's a 'stupid' thing.”
About Thominhas' time in the UFC
Hired by the company in 2014, Thomas leaves with a record of five wins and five setbacks in the organization chaired by Dana White. He weighed against the Brazilian, the four consecutive defeats suffered in Ultimate. The fighter has a record of 22 triumphs and five setbacks
