Despite skid, WSOF 33's Joao Zeferino doesn't see recent losses as setbacks

Joao Zeferino has a surprisingly positive outlook on the current status of his career. With back-to-back losses, Zeferino said he doesn’t feel an unordinary amount of pressure to get back on track when he competes against Jason High at WSOF 33.

“My losses take nothing away from my work,” Zeferino told MMAjunkie. “First, I had three fights in one night. Later, I went up in weight, and went five rounds with (Jon Fitch), one of the best welterweights of all time. I didn’t think those were major setbacks. Of course, I could have done better.

“I have a lot of faith in my work. I’ve learned many lessons and picked up excellent experience in this short period of time. My main lessons are to have faith in myself, and that my wrestling should be on point. I haven’t stopped working hard on it since my last fight. I’ve evolved in this and many other aspects. I can’t wait to show my work.”

Zeferino (20-8) will have the chance to show how his skillset has come along since he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Fitch at WSOF 30 in April when he gets back in the cage against High (20-5) at Friday’s WSOF 33 event.

WSOF 33 takes place at Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The main card airs on NBCSN following prelims streamed on MMAjunkie.

Zeferino has been in this spot before. He’s dropped consecutive fights twice previously in his career, most notably under the UFC banner in 2013. He was two-and-done with the organization, but that didn’t deter him. Zeferino rebounded with a seven-fight winning streak, but once again he finds himself in a difficult position.

“The Brazilian Samurai” was stopped by Brian Foster in the finals of last year’s eight-man lightweight tournament at WSOF 25. He was then offered a short-notice bout with Fitch for WSOF’s 170-pound title but was outworked over the course of five rounds.

Zeferino said all those outcomes were important learning experiences which will be utilized against High – and in every fight beyond.

“Jason High is an excellent opponent with a lot of experience,” Zeferino said. “It’s what I like. I don’t pick my opponents. If it’s someone easy, I’d rather not even fight. I like challenges.

“I’m ready to blow things up and shed my own blood. More than ever, I’m highly confident. I want to fight the best. I want to be champion. And to get there, I have to be ready for anyone.”

Zeferino got a taste of what it was like being in the championship space against Fitch. He liked it, and now he wants more in the future. Beating High, a fellow UFC veteran that’s won 11 of his past 13 fights, would be a step in the right direction toward getting what he wants.

“My plan is to win this fight and have a chance to fight for the belt,” Zeferino said. “I want to get to the top. I want to be the best.

“My focus is to be champion. We’ve been putting a lot of work into turning my weaker points into strong ones.”

With grand aspirations and goals for the future, Zeferino must do everything in his power to avoid dropping a third-straight fight, even if his competition has been stiff. He said the pressure to perform isn’t about winning or losing streaks, though, but rather his intense desire to be immaculate inside the cage.

“I fight to be better than yesterday,” Zeferino said. “I’m a perfectionist, even though perfection doesn’t exist. I can’t wait to fight and showcase my improvements. I know how much I’ve evolved, and how far I can go.”

For more on WSOF 33, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.