Mario Pinto met the media Saturday after his win over Jhonata Diniz at UFC Fight Night 261.
Pinto (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) put away fellow heavyweight Diniz (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) with a ground-and-pound TKO in the second round on the main card at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
Pinto said he was surprised the fans in Brazil made him a true heel against their home fighter, Diniz. After all, Pinto reasoned, he’s from Portugal; Brazilian’s speak Portuguese, same as him. “We’re pretty much the same.”
But once he got beyond that, he knew taking out Diniz was what he had to do to move past the disappointment he had from his promotional debut, in which he basically destroyed Austen Lane early in the second round. But that only came after a lackluster first, and he hasn’t forgotten.
“For me, it’s just about cage time. Cage time is gold for me,” Pinto told the UFC. “It’s the best thing. I just need experience. I’ve only had 11 pro fights, and I know once you go to that top part of the division, it’s just sharks. You have to be ready for anything.
“My last fight, I wasn’t happy about the performance, even though I got the win in a certain way. But I’m a lot better fighter than that, and I think I proved that tonight.”
Check out Pinto’s post-fight interview in the video below.
