Carlos Real Miranda delivered one of the biggest highlights of LFA 187 last Saturday, defeating Manuel Mena by first-round technical knockout in the Brazil vs. Latin America themed event.
Following his win, Leal revealed to Sherdog that while he would like to fight for the LFA welterweight title he once held, his real dream is to fight in the UFC.
“With this fight, I proved that I’m already at a level where I can compete against the best fighters in the world at the biggest events in the world,” the former Professional Fighters League talent said. “Actually, I didn’t lose the LFA belt, I vacated it when I moved to the PFL. The ideal situation for me would be to fight for the title again here at the LFA. If the invitation to fight at UFC doesn’t come, I’ll wait.”
Leal also revealed why he left the PFL after losing to Sadib Sy in the 2023 postseason.
“The PFL is a very good organization,” he said. “Fighting there has helped me grow and mature as a person and as an athlete. I can only be grateful to this promotion. But I was disappointed that I didn’t win in my first season.
[decision loss to Sy]”So I talked with my coach and manager and we decided to try for one more season. If we didn’t win, we would look for other avenues. That’s what we did after the split decision loss to Sadib Sy.”
The Brazilian is confident that if he signs with UFC, it won’t be long before he makes an impact at welterweight.
“I’ve been following the organization, I know the big names in my weight class and I have no doubt that I’m not only ready to come to UFC but to prove that I’m one of the best fighters in my division,” Leal said. “I just need the opportunity.”
