Raffael Cerqueira thought-about strolling away from the game after receiving ludicrous affords to compete in his native Brazil.
Cerqueira, who had three totally different opponents for the Sept. 10 card of Dana White’s Contender Collection earlier than being pulled straight to the UFC 308 line-up, stated in an interview with MMA Preventing he determined to hold up his gloves after being supplied as little as $70 for a struggle.
“There’s a promotion on the market, I received’t even point out names, that the promoter supplied me R$ 400 to struggle in Sao Paulo, and he would solely pay for the meal, no transportation and lodge,” Cerqueira stated. “And I needed to signal a contract with him that he would take a portion of my purse if I fought for a world promotion subsequent. My managers had been like, ‘Are you insane? We received’t struggle in your promotion.’ It’s weird. Very weird.”
Cerqueira began combating in 2019 and rapidly earned the Demo Struggle gentle heavyweight championship, defending it on three events earlier than a few short-notice journeys to heavyweight earlier this yr. He has campaigned for an opportunity within the UFC since 2023, calling out Dana White and Mick Maynard following wins in Brazil, however was uninterested in ready.
“It’s laborious to life as an athlete in Brazil as a result of we’re not valued,” Cerqueira stated. “I’ve two children, and I’ve to purchase them stuff, healthcare and the whole lot else. I fought in December and Mick informed [my manager Leonardo] Pateira he needed me, however I must wait just a little. In my head it was like, ‘Okay, I’m within the UFC already’. I known as my mother and my dad, ‘F*ck, I’m within the UFC, I’ll change our lives now.’ January got here and no reply. I needed to struggle, so my staff obtained me one other struggle.”
Cerqueira changed a teammate in a heavyweight bout in late January, and received by first-round knockout. He known as out Maynard once more contained in the cage, however no deal was supplied.
“I reached a degree I thought of quitting combating,” Cerqueira stated. “It’s laborious for us financially talking, proper? ‘I can’t take it no extra, I’ll stop the whole lot and return to highschool and deal with getting a job’. I began sending my resume to individuals who I’ve labored with up to now.”
Cerqueira’s coaches at Galpão da Luta insisted that he ought to give it one other attempt, and if yet one more win didn’t earn a deal within the UFC, so be it. Cerqueira’s mom was hospitalized, and he wanted cash to place meals on the desk at dwelling, so he took one other last-minute heavyweight struggle in Salvador.
“I bear in mind warming up within the locker room, feeling fully demotivated and unhappy,” Cerqueira stated. “I feel I skilled two weeks for that struggle, tops. I used to be so drained that issues would occur. I informed my cousin 10 minutes earlier than the struggle, warming up, ‘If I get nothing out of this struggle, I’m executed. To me, that is my final struggle.’”
Cerqueira remembers combating poorly, contemplating he barely skilled for that match, however nonetheless doing sufficient to place away Rodrigo Araujo within the opening spherical. He drove again dwelling and informed his mom he had received, now 11-0 as an expert, and she or he smiled again. “Good, let’s wait now,” she informed her son.
“Per week glided by. Two, three, 4 weeks, and nonetheless no reply [from the UFC],” Cerqueira stated. “I went again to the fitness center and informed Mario Piazzon I’ve had sufficient. Mario informed me, ‘Brother, bear in mind while you informed me that when life is tough at you, it’s as a result of one thing good is about to occur?’ And the information actually got here on the following day that I had been signed to the Contender Collection. I began crying man, thanking God for the whole lot.”
Cerqueira by no means needed to struggle on DWCS, with the matchmakers shifting him to UFC 308 as an alternative, becoming a member of teammates Jailton Almeida and Eduarda Moura on the UFC roster. He feels the strain of combating for a deal could be as laborious as “a job interview” with Dana White, however feels as motivated for the UFC. Aslan is 13-1 as an expert with 5 straight finishes going into UFC 308, however Cerqueira is assured.
“When this season of the Contender Collection began,” Cerqueira stated, “Dana White got here out and stated he’s not searching for guys over 30, and I’m like, ‘Rattling, I’m 34 and the boss says that? I’ve to placed on a present and knock this man out or have a there-round bloody battle.’ Being within the UFC doesn’t take any strain away from me, as a result of the cardboard is lots larger now. I’ve to placed on an awesome struggle to indicate why I used to be signed.”
