30-year-old Mario Miranda, fighting out of Matt Hume's AMC Pankration in Kirkland, Washington, makes his UFC Debut March 31st against Gerald Harris in a 185 pound matchup on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night Florian vs Gomi. Miranda has compiled an impressive 11-0 record (9 pro, 2 amateur) since his MMA debut in 2006, and has wins over current UFC fighter Ricky Story, along with Mike Hayes, Joe Vedepo, Chad Vance and Tyson Jeffries. Miranda, along with manager Shy Sadis, spoke with NW Fightscene's Jason Lusk about himself and his path to the UFC...

NW Fightscene: Congratulations on your new contract with the UFC. Your fans have been wondering what was going on with you.
Mario Miranda: Thanks. I've been training hard for my upcoming fight.

NWFS: When did you come to the US?
Miranda: I moved back in 2000.

NWFS: What brought you to Washington?
Miranda: I have relatives here.

NWFS: What brought you to Matt Hume?
Miranda: I accidentally and luckily ended up with Matt.

Matt Hume & Mario Miranda

NWFS: There were lots of rumors that you were going to be on Season 11 of the The Ultimate Fighter. Was any of that true? If so, how far did you make it?
Shy Sadis: Yes, Mario tried out for TUF 11 and he made it all the way to the final cut in Las Vegas. We wanted the show, but it just didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. This probably had to do with his personality. Mario is very quiet. He is not a partier and wouldn't cause any big drama for the show, and that's probably some of what they were looking for.

NWFS: Why did you end up with a contract and not on the show?
Miranda: After I didn't get picked for the show my manager kept talking to the UFC until they reached an agreement.

NWFS: Would Mario have preferred to be on TUF or to go right into the UFC?
Shy Sadis: Mario wanted to go straight into the UFC and not the show. I talked him into the show for more exposure, knowing if we didn't make it, a contract was my next push. Through this whole process we've built a strong relationship with the UFC and we knew a deal for Mario was just a phone call away if he didn't make the show.

Shy would also like to mention that Mario was in Los Angeles training with Mark Munoz and Anderson Silva up until the TUF 11 tryouts. He asked Anderson Silva how Mario was doing, and Silva said "I couldn't tap him and he couldn't tap me". 

NWFS: Can you tell us about the contract? 
Miranda: It's for four fights, but there's no guarantee, like most of the new-comers.

NWFS: Why was he was not on the Kent Strikeforce card last year?
Shy Sadis: Mario was not on the Kent Strikeforce card because Dennis Hallman couldn't get him a fight. No one wanted to fight Mario.

NWFS: What belts or titles do you hold in MMA, grappling, etc.? 
Miranda: Sport Fight Middleweight Champion and Grapplers Quest Champion, those are my main titles.

Sportfight 185 lb Champ Miranda with Matt Lindland

NWFS: Did you wrestle or play any other sports in school?
Miranda: I played soccer and Jiu-jitsu. I also wrestled at the Gama Filho University in Rio.

NWFS: Tell us a little bit about how you grew up.
Miranda: I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where soccer is a passion. Since my early ages I would do Jiu-jitsu and play soccer. My parents would make me drop the sports if I wasn't doing great in school (this happened all the time haha). At the age of 14 I was introduced to wrestling and that became my favorite sport for the following years.

NWFS: What got you interested in MMA?
Miranda: After a couple of years away from wrestling, I tried to get back at it, but I couldn't find a wrestling school and ended up joining an MMA school. I got quick results and my interest in the sport grew. 

NWFS: Is there anyone you'd like to fight or see yourself as a good match up with?
Miranda: There are a lot of good fighters out there that I'd like to face, but right now my focus is only on my [upcoming] opponent.

NWFS: How are you feeling? With this being your UFC debut do you think it will have any affect on you?
Miranda: I'm still couple weeks out, so I'm still very calm. The fight shouldn't be different at all, but the recognition certainly is.

NWFS: What are you doing the week before your fight?
Miranda: The last week is usually when I slow down with my training and cut weight.

NWFS: Any special training or diet for this fight? 
Miranda: No special diet. I wouldn't say special training, but really hard training!

Shy Sadis: He has also been in Hawaii training Muay Thai with Matt Hume's trainer. For his upcoming UFC fight he will be at AMC training with Matt Hume and Matt Brown. We know Gerald Harris will wait for a punch and then try for a single or a double-leg take down. We have watched a lot of video on him and think Mario is prepared. It's now time for Mario, he is ready and I believe he will go far in the UFC!

NWFS: Who is your favorite fighter/s?
Miranda: There are some great fighters out there. All the UFC title holders are pretty impressive. Jon Jones is up there too, and he deserves a title shot.

NWFS: Who do you look up to as a fighter?
Miranda: Many fighters, but Randy Couture is probably the main one.

NWFS: Who did you like to watch fight when you were growing up? 
Miranda: I was a wrestler, so I wanted the wrestlers to win. I was fan of Mark Kerr, Randy Couture and Dan Henderson.

NWFS: Any big plans after your fight?
Miranda: I'll be wherever the party is. (Laughs)

NWFS: Anything else you want to say?
Miranda: I'm training hard, and I'm gonna do my best for my teammates and fans.

NWFS: Anyone you would like to thank?
Miranda: I'd like to thank my teammates for helping my preparation. I'd also like to thank my sponsors Sinister, Zipfizz, Active Water, Ruff Riders, Jet Bar & Lockflow.

NW Fightscene would like to thank Mario and Shy for taking the time out for this interview. Fans of Mario can check him out on Facebook.

Mario fights Gerald Harris on the undercard of UFC Fight Night at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Mar 31. The main card airs on Spike TV. More info at UFC.com. If Mario wins his UFC debut, he will enter an elite group of undefeated UFC fighters that have 10 or more victories: Lyoto Machida (16-0), Dong Hyun Kim (12-0-1), John Hathaway (13-0), Ryan Bader (12-0), Shane Carwin (11-0), Evan Dunham (10-0), & Rory MacDonald (10-0-1). Following close behind at 9-0: Cain Velasquez, Gray Maynard, & Alexander Gustafsson. And at 7-0: Aaron Simpson & Johny Hendricks.