After changing training habits, champ Dhiego Lima hopes return call from UFC comes after Titan FC 42

Dhiego Lima knows what it takes to get to the UFC. He found out the hard way what it takes to stay there, and in his first go-’round, he didn’t have it.

But going into his welterweight title defense against Jason Jackson (6-2) on Friday at Titan FC 42, Lima (12-4) believes he’s turned a corner in his career – and that could lead to a call from the UFC to come back.

“It was mostly mental. I wasn’t having fun,” Lima told MMAjunkie of his first stint in the UFC, which came after a run on Season 19 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” “I was too exhausted when it came time for my UFC fights. By fight week, I was so tired – I kept wishing I was home. I wasn’t enjoying myself. I had to change that. I also changed my training. I’m not wearing myself out anymore. I didn’t want to lose.

“In the end, I was hurting myself when training. I wasn’t taking care of my body. Everything was training, training, training – no rest. In addition to changing that, I’ve also improved my wrestling. I’ve been working a lot on that. Now I can say I’m a complete fighter. Hopefully I’ll get a call back from the UFC after I defend my belt. My career is on the right path. Now is the time to have fun.”

Lima defends his 170-pound belt against Jackson in the Titan FC 42 main event, which takes place Friday at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

After “TUF 19,” Lima went 1-3 in the UFC with three first-round knockout losses. The rough stretch started when Eddie Gordon needed just 71 seconds to take him out in the show’s final. He rebounded witha decision win, but then had first-round knockout losses to Tim Means and Jingliang Li.

After nearly a year off, he won a fight for Legacy FC in April (watch the highlights of his win over Antonio Trocoli below), and in June beat fellow UFC vet David Michaud in a five-round decision to win Titan’s welterweight title.

“Sometimes when people leave the UFC, they look for easy wins,” Lima said. “That’s not how I am. I only want to face high-level guys so I can show my work, and that I deserve to be on top. We’re going to defend the belt again, and then we’ll see what happens after.”

What happens after, he hopes, could be that call from the UFC. But he knows there are eyeballs on his opponent, Jackson, as well. Jackson, who trains in South Florida with the Blackzilians team, has half of Lima’s experience. But he’s also been on “The Ultimate Fighter,” on Season 21, and is a Victory FC champion.

A finish over a highly touted opponent in a title bout on UFC Fight Pass could be a big step for Lima to get another chance to prove himself at the highest level.

“I probably need a finish to get back to the UFC,” Lima said. “I’m trying. I’m fighting my hardest. The competition is good. There are no slouches.

“There’s been a lot of hype about him and me – mostly on him, actually. People keep saying he’s from the Blackzilians and he’s the the next to get a shot in the UFC. I know he was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ as well. He didn’t get signed afterward, so he’s looking to get back in there. We’re looking for the same thing. Hopefully the winner of this takes that next step.”

For more on Titan FC 42, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.