When you think of CES MMA, the Rhode Island promotion, immediately Dinis Paiva (13-9) comes to mind. It is hard to imagine what CES may have looked like without the staple of “Sweetbread” Paiva. At CES 63, which took place in Florida last week, Paiva made the tough decision, calling it a career in the cage on UFC Fight Pass.
“Going into this, I was already mentally thinking what was the next chapter in my life,” Paiva stated in a recent interview with Cageside Press. “This isn’t a forever game. When the time came and I had a child in my life I was ready to make that leap to the next chapter, from fighter to father,” Paiva continued. “When am I going to get the opportunity to fight in front of my mother, my father in the same roof. I love this sport more than I love a lot of things in life. I’m going to leave on my own accord, not be pushed out.”
Paiva stated that a multitude of reasons weighed into the retirement decision. From family, to a CES title, age and more, it was time in Paiva’s mind. Competing under the CES banner a total of 21 times, the only MMA fight he has competed in under a different banner was Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. It comes with no surprise that Paiva considers CES home.
“CES is family to me,” Paiva told Cageside Press. “Look how many guys CES has put in the UFC. The proof is in the pudding, I fought for them 20-plus times for a reason, they were so good to me. There would be no “Sweetbread” without CES, they were the oven and the baker,” Paiva laughed. “Probably not a lot of promotions out there man that recognize individual family members of a fighter and help them out, take care of them, CES has done that for me.”
Watch our full interview above, as Paiva explains in detail his retirement decision, teases what is next for him including still competing in tournaments or coaching in the sport and much more. Congrats on a great a career for the New Englander!
