Diego Ferreira attributes his limited UFC activity in 2024 to declined fights from Drew Dober and Dan Hooker, and aims to stay active by defeating Grant Dawson at UFC 311, coinciding with his 40th birthday.
Diego Ferreira hasn’t been too active lately. He blames Drew Dober and Dan Hooker for his limited appearances in the UFC cage in 2024.
Ferreira’s only had two fights since 2022, both knockout wins earning performance bonuses against Michael Johnson and Mateusz Rebecki. He’s back in action this weekend at UFC 311, mainly because Dober and Hooker declined fights with him late last year.
“I want to fight ranked guys but stay active,” Ferreira told MMA Fighting before facing Grant Dawson at UFC 311. “[UFC] offered me Dober, but he said, ‘Ah, I don’t want to fight.’ Same with Hooker. Come on, brother. I do what I have to do, you know? Now, Grant Dawson’s in front of me, and I have to walk through him to show I’m here.”
Dober lost to Jean Silva in July; Hooker won a split decision against Mateusz Gamrot in his only 2024 bout. Ferreira’s eager to face either next or maybe avenge a past loss to Gamrot. His main goal? Staying active inside the cage.
“After beating Rebecki, I thought I’d get another fight right away,” Ferreira said. “But it didn’t happen; they kept me on the shelf for almost a year. I’ll make the most of this opportunity now. Short-notice fights, whatever—I’ll be ready. I’m not getting any younger, so I have to seize every opportunity.”
Ferreira fights Dawson on Saturday—his 40th birthday! On his 35th birthday, he tapped out ex-UFC champ Anthony Pettis on the Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone card in Vegas. So it’s “good energy” he’s feeling again as he aims for another birthday finish.
“My training focused on his wrestling, which was good for me,” Ferreira said. “I want to showcase my jiu-jitsu again and go for the submission. I’ve got two knockouts now—not my style—but thank God for those wins. Now, I really want another submission.”
Dawson has secured submissions in 13 of his 22 MMA victories, including finishes over Mark Madsen and Jared Gordon under the UFC banner. Ferreira acknowledges Dawson’s potential but states, “I’m in my prime now.”
“He doesn’t like being in the cage,” Ferreira commented. “I think he’s too desperate sometimes. Me? I love being in the octagon doing what I do. I plan to take this fight into later rounds—it’ll favor me a lot. But I need to be careful; he’ll shoot at my legs and try to wrestle me against the cage. I’m ready to counter that.”