Ahead of his clash with Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas, “Pezao” spoke to Sherdog about the strangeness of facing a teammate, his respect for Arlovski’s incredible career longevity and his desire to emulate it. De Lima lost a decision to Blagoy Ivanov in his last outing, but the 36-year-old Brazilian takes the long view, seeing it all as part of his progression.
“Since my MMA debut in 2009, my career has been solid,” he said. “I’ve always been an excellent striker. I have a good kickboxing résumé. I was able to bring my kickboxing game to MMA. And during these eight years in the UFC, while I’ve been alternating between losses and wins, the company and the fans always have enjoyed my work. Even in losses, I always deliver good fights. I always give my best, despite the results. I’m very dedicated to fighting. It’s how I constantly live my life. I always look for ways to get better. I’m currently in a great phase of my life, despite coming off a loss to Blagoy Ivanov. We had a great war. Without a doubt, with every fight and with every training camp, I’m becoming a better athlete. I’m always very motivated. It’s what brought me this far. And it’s also what makes me deliver good fights. I’m ready to do it again for the fans.”
De Lima was quick to express his respect for fellow American Top Team export Arlovski, and claims to be looking forward to the contrast in styles. “Andrei is a legend of the sport. He’s also been reinventing himself. He has a great striking game. He’s quick and very intelligent. I’m sure we’ll have a great fight. Andrei leaves everything in the cage, as do I. Regardless, I like fighting, walking forward, and going to war. I see myself putting him in bad spots at all times. My striking is very aggressive, and that’s what I’m betting on against him. His standup is very technical. It’s going to be technique versus aggression. Let’s see how he deals with that. I feel that my strength and speed will make all the difference.”
While de Lima sees a win over an opponent with the name value of Arlovski as a way to approach the heavyweight Top 15, he also sees him as an example of how much time he might have left to do so, a lesson he also takes from another 40-something ATT product. “Without a doubt, by winning this fight I should be close to being ranked. I’m sure that I’m fully capable of winning this fight. Arlovski is a great example and a great athlete, but this is my moment. It’s the best phase of my life. I’m sure I’ll get the win and climb up the rankings. In my career, I’ve had few injuries. I’m confident I will perform at the highest level during this bout. I want to fight up until age 45 or 46. ‘Massaranduba’ [Francisco Trinaldo], my roommate, is a great example. He’s 44 years old. He trains hard, eats well, and has a good lifestyle. I look to mirror him. By following his example, I’m sure I can be as healthy by the time I’m 44.”
Fighting a teammate can create all kinds of awkwardness, but in that regard “Pezao” and “Pitbull” are fortunate: American Top Team is one of the largest gyms in the sport—so large, in fact, that they have never worked directly against one another in training. The two are habitually cornered by different members of the coaching staff, thus avoiding another potentially difficult situation. “I’ve been training at American Top Team since 2013. In 2017, Arlovski joined the team. We’ve never trained together, but we share a mat. I always see him around the academy. He’s always training. Now that we’re booked, I see him even more often. But we’re very friendly. We have nothing against the other. It’s just work. We’ll give our best. The training at American Top Team is the best. I have the best training partners. I’ve had great help with Augusto Sakai, who already faced Arlovski. I also worked with Vitor Caiado Resende, who’s a big heavyweight. I worked with [Marcus Almeida] 'Buchecha' for his last fight, and now he’s returning the favor. He’ll probably corner me. Our coaches – what can I say about them? Katel Kubis, Conan Silveira, Steve Mocco, ‘Parrumpinha’ are the best coaches in the world in my opinion. Everton Bittar Oliveira, who works with several other fighters, takes care of strength and conditioning. I’m feeling great. I’m training very well. So’s Arlovski. We train in the world’s best team. We’ll put on a high-quality show. It hasn’t happened at ATT yet, but now the fans get to see it.”
Without looking past the test in front of him this weekend, de Lima is willing to discuss his general goals for the near future. “I’ll keep working with the goal of being in the top 15 at first. Eventually, I’d like to climb even higher. I have the technical qualities necessary to make it to the top and fight for the belt. I know I can do it. My technical, physical, and mental skills will allow me to rank among the best. It’s my life’s goal. I train every day with that in mind. I don’t think about being better than my opponents, but about being better than myself. I persist with my life’s goal.”