Luccas Lira, you are one of the featured from the new generation in the competitive Jiu-Jitsu either with or without the GI. What tips would you give to the GRACIEMAG readers that desire to call attention of the public in the big stages?
I see many fighters fighting events and being champions but they don’t get recognized for it. That’s because they end up not fighting and giving priority to the right tournaments to compete. Any athlete that wants to get recognition have to search for the biggest federations of our sport.
What were the key challenges that you had to win during your carrear in Jiu-Jitsu until today?
Absolutely being far from family while traveling to compete and also dealing with some injuries that bothered me for a while but because of my strength condition and physiotherapy I was able to recover from it.
You enjoy more competing with or without the GI?
I prefer to compete without the GI. I feel that makes more my style of grappling. That was something very natural that I’ve always had. I always had great results at grappling and that made me enjoy more. But I love the GI as well.
Which one was your biggest win as a fighter and your toughest loss?
Thank God I had great results during my carrear. I won IBJJF No-Gi Worlds weight and open weight, No-Gi Pans, South American. World Pro Abu Dhabi and recently a great performance at ADCC trials. All of these tournaments have a special taste for me because being an IBJJF World Champion is something for a few, winning World Pro Abu Dhabi gives you a great feeling because of the prize money and the ADCC trials will probably bring me the invitation to fight the biggest grappling event of all time in front of 13.000 people. The losses I believe all of them are inside me until today. They make me want to get better everyday so I rather not forget them.
Who’s your idol in your carrear?
My professor and mentor Roberto Cyborg. He pushes me everyday to give my best, trusts me and know my potencial. He always helps me to take my professional decisions. I’m sure that together we will keep making a lot of success.
You will probably get the invite for the upcoming ADCC. Do you predict something special for your preparation to this event ?
Yes. I’m living this expectation to be invited for the ADCC in September at Las Vegas. My preparation to this event in case I get the invite will be the best possible. I’ll give my best in my strength and conditioning and will train a lot with my teammates at Fight Sports Club Miami. We have great athletes that are already confirmed for ADCC and for sure it will be the best training room in the world and the result will be the best possible.
Is the fact that you are a brown belt and fight the ADCC against black belts in your favor?
In my head being a brown belt doesn’t change much. Besides my opponent I always fight moving forward and looking for the submission. If that makes a difference for my opponents I don’t know but my mind is always good and while I fight I just search my main goal that is to be victorious.
What are your goals for the future when you become a black belt?
My goals for the future are getting back to United States as a professional athlete and represent my team Fight Sports Club in the biggest Jiu-Jitsu and grappling events in the world. I aim to win Worlds weight and open weight at brown belt and win ADCC. After these events that will happen this year I want to get my black belt from my master and continue to build a great carrear being a black belt world champion and then move to MMA.
What motivational phrase do you like to repeat to yourself in difficult times?
Everything in life is phases. However they seems to take long everything passes.
