Francisco Trinaldo’s 10-year run in the UFC came to an end this month once the company decided not to re-sign the 44-year-old veteran, who was the last remaining member of TUF Brazil 1 still on the roster. “Massaranduba” has mixed feelings on the news.
Trinaldo revealed to MMA Fighting that he was approached by the UFC about possibly fighting at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 21, but eventually got pink-slipped. Sixteen of his 26 UFC bouts have taken place in Brazil, and now he’s set to look for a new home in mixed martial arts.
“It was good for as long as it lasted,” Trinaldo said. “We feel a bit offended, but it’s also good to me because it gives me more energy to train. Not that I was tired of fighting in the UFC, but … it’s good that I’m going to fight for other promotions now, meet other people. MMA is only growing, so let’s leave that feeling in the past.”
Trinaldo feels the UFC has “changed” compared to when he joined the organization back in 2012, and the industry outside of it is only getting stronger. A veteran of 37 professional MMA bouts, Trinaldo is open to joining companies like Bellator and ONE Championship next, and also likes the $1 million check paid to season champions in the PFL.
“We think about that [PFL] tournament, four fights a year, but when I fight, I do it for love,” he said. “It’s good that I get paid to fight and put on that show, so that’s also a good option to think about the future. Not every promotion pays a million. We’re fighting for a long time, so that’s a good promotion to consider.”
Trinaldo scored key wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Yancy Medeiros, Ross Pearson, Jim Miller, Bobby Green, and Evan Dunham during his 18-8 run in the UFC as a welterweight and lightweight. He said he can make 155 pounds again if asked, but “it’s an effort I don’t think I need anymore.”
“I know I did good work in the UFC and I know I’ll do an even better job somewhere else,” Trinaldo said. “I feel younger and younger in MMA, training with the kids every day.”
Now that he is longer a UFC fighter, “Massaranduba” believes his legacy is ultimately to teach the youth to be true to themselves.
“You know why I was in the UFC for so long? I was there for so long because I never cared about what others said,” Trinaldo said. “People talk only, they talk nicely or badly, and I always kept working and doing good. It’s what I tell the kids that will replace me: Be yourself. If you’re an a**hole, be an a**hole, don’t try to be nice. Be yourself, don’t change masks. That’s what I did my entire career in the UFC, I was always myself.”