A CES MMA bantamweight title, historically, has been a ticket to an eventual trip to the UFC. That may be in Joshua Smith ’s (10-6) future after he submitted Dinis Paiva (13-9) to win the 135-pound title in the CES MMA 62 main event Friday at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Fla. Smith tapped Paiva at the 4:01 mark in the second round with a rear-naked choke. After the loss, Paiva took off his gloves and announced his retirement from the sport after 22 fights. The only fight of his pro career that wasn’t under the CES banner came in September 2020, when he lost a decision to Kyle Driscoll at Dana White’s Contender Series.
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