Darren Mima entered his last fight on a five fight winning streak and was booked to face Nick Honstein for the CFFC flyweight title earlier this year at CFFC 40.
While Mima (5-2) made weight for the title fight, Honstein was over weight and he still took the fight as a non-title fight.
Things would not go his way as he was submitted in the first round, which Mima recently admitted on The MMA Report Live that the lesson he learned from the fight is now to panic.
“In my last fight, I think I panic in the submission,” Mima said. “I do jiu-jitsu twice a week with high level black belts. For the first time in my career, I actually panicked more than anything and I tried to rush out of something. As I rushed out of it, I got injured out of it.”
He has learned his lesson and will now move on to face Sidemar Honorio for the vacant CFFC flyweight title at CFFC 44 on December 13th in Pennsylvania. While he only concentrated on one aspect in his last training camp, he is concetrating on everything as he prepares to meet Honorio next weekend.
“I am concentrating on everything from the wrestling to the jiu-jitsu to the boxing,” Mima said. “I am just concentrating on everything. Last time I only concentrated on one thing, this time I am concentrating on everything. All my weaknesses from the standup to the ground, I am concentrating on. I think Honorio is a good fighter. He is 9-5 for a reason. It’s going to be an exciting fight. I am going to beat him. I am going to beat him hands down regardless of what happens in the fight.”
Just like all fighters, Mima has a goal to get to the UFC. He plans to go out on December 13th and make a statement against Honorio and is hoping the UFC will give him the opportunity to show them he is one of the best flyweights not signed by the promotion.
“If I beat him convincingly, I am hoping the UFC sees my dominance in this fight,” he said. “I feel like I am one of the best flyweights on the east coast that just needs an opportunity to shine where it’s bright.”