True to form, Francisco Trinaldo hardly satisfied with UFC-Sao Paulo win over Jim Miller

SAO PAULO – It seems Francisco Trinaldo is keeping up with his tradition of not being quite pleased with his UFC displays, no matter the outcome.

After a tough first round at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 119, Trinaldo (22-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) managed to outlast fellow veteran Jim Miller (28-11 MMA, 17-10 UFC) to earn a unanimous decision from the judges. The main-card lightweight meeting put a big name under Trinaldo’s belt but, most importantly, landed him back in the winning column after a loss to interim title contender Kevin Lee (16-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC).

Trinaldo is certainly happy to be back on track, which isn’t to suggest he’s 100 percent satisfied with what he showed against Miller.

“I trained to knock him down or submit him,” Trinaldo told reporters after the FS1-televised bout, which took place at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “I swear to you. I trained every day. I didn’t miss a single training session. I did four training sessions a day. I didn’t miss a single one.

“When I thought my body was tired, I looked at my kid and thought, ‘No (expletive) way I’m going to stay here. I need this win.'”

It may not have been a finish, but it was a positive outcome, much like the seven straight wins “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” alum managed to line up before Lee spoiled his party in March. And it’s one that Trinaldo believes should be rewarded in the rankings.

“The next step is to meet a guy who’s ranked,” Trinaldo said. “A top-7, top-5, top-8. Because I want to show what I can do.”

Trinaldo has always been known for his unwavering work ethic as any of his coaches and training partners will confirm. But he found even more motivation while preparing for his 16th octagon appearance since 2012. Apart from the added fuel of a loss, he became a father six months ago.

“The arrival of my kid (Francisco) just pushed me harder,” Trinaldo said, “to train harder and show I’m going to be a great fighter and a great citizen.” (via Instagram)

Faltam 3 dias, eu e o Francisco filho contamos com a torcida de todos vocês ??

A post shared by Francisco Trinaldo (@massarandubamma) on Oct 24, 2017 at 6:50pm PDT

As usual, Trinaldo wants to resume his path to becoming a great fighter sooner rather than later. While it would appear he has a preference for fighting on Brazilian soil, given that’s where 13 of his UFC outings have taken place, Trinaldo says he doesn’t want to wait until Belem’s Feb. 3 card to return.

Pressed for possible names, “Massaranduba” gave two options. Before taking a loss on what was a record-breaking 28th octagon appearance on Saturday, Miller was coming off two consecutive setbacks. Trinaldo thinks either of those men could be good fights for him.

The problem is that the two, ex-155-pound champion Anthony Pettis and contender Dustin Poirier, are set to fight each other Nov. 11 at UFC Fight Night 120. So he might have to settle for someone else.

Another option? Well, it seems like he’s not counting on it to happen now, but Trinaldo would like a chance to get the UFC Fight Night 106 submission loss to Lee back at some point.

“I lost to a guy who I know I’m superior to,” Trinaldo said. “We’ll meet further down the road, and I’ll get that one back.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 119, check out the UFC Events section of the site.