Daniel Lacerda’s Do-or-Die Moxie

Daniel Lacerda may have already arrived at the put-up-or-shut-up marker in his first run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“Miojo” will attempt to rebound from back-to-back losses when he locks horns with former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Victor Altamirano in a three-round UFC 278 flyweight prelim on Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Lacerda understands his back appears to be against the wall but trusts in what he has learned through success and failure.

“I know I haven’t had a good stint in the UFC,” he told Sherdog.com. “I had been making errors during training. I’ve never been more ready. My losses and even my past wins are behind me now. I’m only looking to the future.”

Altamirano stands as his next test. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate has rattled off four wins across his past five appearances. Altamirano last competed at UFC Fight Night 202, where he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Carlos Hernandez on Feb. 26. The 31-year-old boasts five finishes among his 10 pro victories.

“He is very good, very tough,” Lacerda said. “I respect him, as I respect all my opponents. We step into the cage to do our work. I want to beat him, and he wants to beat me. I know he’s also hungry for his first UFC win. He wants to keep his contract. I’m used to facing challenging opponents who look to define the fight. My career in Brazil was no different. I fought tough and experienced athletes. I’m used to this kind of pressure. I think he’ll come at me hard, but I think that would be a mistake on his part.”

Lacerda did not just stand pat during his current skid. He now operates out of the Diego Lima-fronted Chute Boxe affiliate, where he trains alongside former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and reigning flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo. Time will tell whether or not the move alters the trajectory of his career, but initial returns sound promising.

“I’m in a champions factory,” Lacerda said. “We’re putting together the best strategy for me. We’ll be intelligent, but I won’t stray from my nature, which is to be very aggressive. I will be careful, of course, but I’ll keep my aggressive game. A lot of things changed in my career. This time around, I’m getting a knockout or submission. There’s no way around that. It’s what I always go for. Now, I’m a much better version of myself.”

Lacerda never has to look far for motivation. He carries it in his nickname.

“I had no money when I started out in fighting and survived by eating ‘Miojo’ ramen noodles only for a month,” he said. “Sometimes I ate them raw; sometimes I found ways to cook them at a friend’s house.”

The confident Brazilian expects his encounter with Altamirano to light a fire on the undercard.

“We’re going to put on a show,” Lacerda said. “Even though I’m coming off two losses, I’ll be there to kill or be killed. Fans saw that in my last two fights I lost. I lost once by TKO and once by submission. You will never get a boring fight out of me. I put on shows, and that’s what I’ll be doing again. I’m always looking to finish. If he chases after me, I’ll catch him even sooner. If he holds back, I’ll catch him once my game starts to flow.”