Francisco Trinaldo proved there’s more left in the tank at 41 years old with a third-round knockout against Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Island 3.
Unfortunately, Francisco Trinaldo extending his win streak to three with a knockout over top European prospect Jai Herbert was overshadowed by a controversial referee stoppage at UFC Fight Island 3. Trinaldo knocked Herbert stiff with an overhand in the third round, but had to deliver a few more punches to secure the victory despite the lack of movement from Herbert.
Trinaldo did not want to follow-up on the initial knockdown, but Herb Dean let the fight continue. The Brazilian veteran gave his perspective on the situation.
“I could see that he was knocked out when he fell,” Trinaldo said. “I kind of went in and stopped. Then when Herb Dean didn’t intervene, I went there just to finish it but I think everyone saw that he was knocked out.”
The fact that Trinaldo has been such a force for a long time is a testament to his health. He’s now won 12 of his last 15 fights into his forties. He shared his tips for a long career.
“I think that the first secret is to get rest,” Trinaldo said. “Good nutrition, eating healthy. I think that’s really what makes a difference. There’s a few other secrets but I only pass that on to teammates.”
Now the next part of his career will take place up a weight class. Trinaldo missed weight by four pounds at UFC Fight Island 3 and will move to welterweight as a result. He’s ready for the transition.
“I think I’m gonna be more alive at 170,” Trinaldo said. “I’m gonna be able to train harder. Now this last week, I just focus on cutting weight. So I think I’ll be able to train until the end. I want to go ahead and call out Diego Sanchez. He’s a veteran of the sport like me.”
Sanchez is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Jai Herbert when it comes to career longevity, and Trinaldo wants more opponents like Sanchez in the future.
“I’d rather fight the veterans like I am, but I’m always open to any fight,” Trinaldo said. “Nobody wanted to fight this guy coming in and I faced him. I said I was gonna give him a warm welcome into the UFC and that’s exactly what I did.”
Trinaldo added that he expects to be in the UFC for much longer due to the move up to 170. He already called out Donald Cerrone and Mike Perry, so we’ll see what the next step is for Massaranduba.
