Diego Lima (left) next to Charles of the Bronx (dir). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @diegolimacb
confirmation of Charles of the Bronx as the star of UFC Rio, scheduled for October 11th at Farmasi Arena, had a decisive emotional component behind the scenes. In an interview with Ag Fight, Diego Lima, the former lightweight champion's coach and manager (up to 70,3 kg), revealed that the São Paulo-born fighter himself was the one who put his foot down to fight in Brazil. This long-held desire was eventually granted by the UFC leadership.
According to Diego, Charles made a point of returning to his home country for the opportunity to fight again in front of the Brazilian public. The last time the athlete performed in Brazil was in March 2020, when he submitted Kevin Lee in Brasília, at an event held without fans, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, all of his performances have taken place abroad.
See too
"Charles has this desire to fight in Brazil. He wants to fight for his people, he wants the community to have access to him at the hotel, backstage, so they can go to the fight. He wants to bring people who don't have visas to the fight. He has a great desire to fight in Brazil, and today it's no longer about the money," declared Diego Lima.
The leader of the Chute Boxe São Paulo team, the coach was responsible for directly brokering negotiations with top UFC names such as Dana White, Hunter Campbell, and Sean Shelby. According to him, Charles's emotional appeal, combined with his track record within the company, was instrumental in securing his spot in the main event.
"We talked a lot with Hunter, Dana, Sean... They understood Charles's desire to fight in Brazil. It was 100% Charles's request," he added.
UFC Rio will feature Charles do Bronx vs. Rafael Fiziev in the main fight
UFC Rio will be the first Fight Night in the city since 2015, also marking the 13th edition of the event in the state capital. Charles will face the Kyrgyz Raphael Fiziev, currently ranked number 10 in the lightweight rankings. The fight represents the Brazilian's attempt to bounce back after being knocked out by Ilia Topuria in dispute for the vacant belt in UFC 317, in June.
Fiziev is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Ignatius Bahamondes, also in June, after a difficult period of injuries and defeats. The Rio clash promises to be a turning point for both athletes in the race for a new title shot.
You need login To comment.