Reinaldo Ekson: I’m the Same in the Cage, Whether It’s for $1 or $1 Million

Ahead of his clash with Mike Barnett at PFL Challenger Series 4, Professional Fighters League featherweight hopeful Reinaldo Ekson spoke to Sherdog about the long and winding road that took him from kicking banana trees in his parents’ backyard, all the way to eyeing a $1 million prize — and the ways in which the journey has not changed him at all.

Full name?
Reinaldo Ekson dos Santos Oliveira.

Nickname?
I don’t really have a nickname. People used to call me “Guerreiro” [warrior in Portuguese]. But I’m better known as Reinaldo “Ekson,” since my middle name is so distinct.

Where were you born, and where do you live today?
I’m from Itaja, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Today I live in the state capital – Natal. That’s where I was able to find the best training facilities.

Date of birth?
March 8, 1989.

Height?
1.74 m (5 feet, 8 ½ inches).

Weight class?
Featherweight.

Academy?
Pitbull Brothers.

How’d you get started in MMA? What inspired you?
I used to work at a video rental shop. We used to have several Pride Fighting Championships DVDs. I watched a lot of them. It was a big inspiration. Plus, my father and I used to enjoy Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies together when I was a kid. After watching them, I’d go to our backyard and start kicking guava and banana trees – anything that would allow me to emulate what I just saw. I did this, even though I knew nothing about fighting. My first martial art was capoeira at age 10. That didn’t last long, since our master eventually moved out of town. From there, I become a soccer player. It was my father’s dream, since he had been a professional player. But I ended up not following that path. At age 16, I started training in Thai boxing. I had 11 bouts between muay Thai, kickboxing, and Thai boxing. In 2012, I migrated to MMA with zero ground skills. I only knew how to bang it out. Regardless, I won my first bout [against Caio Felipe] by guillotine choke.

How were things when you were getting started? Did you have any support?
When I got started, I had no moral or financial support of any kind. My parents were initially against my choice. Today, they root for me, and feel anxious when I fight. I come from a small town in the interior of the state. No one wanted to assist me. They didn’t believe in me. I’d go around local pharmacies or supermarkets, looking for sponsorships. Very rarely, I would get some money but it was something like 20 Brazilian reais [less than $5 today]. I’ve always had to work a full-time job and train. I’ve spent my whole life doing both things. If I become financially stable, it’s going to feel very strange to only train and rest.

Your record is a solid 17-5. You just won three in a row via submission. Can you talk about some your most important fights, as well as the lessons from your losses?
My last three wins were very important. Some of my previous fights were also very memorable. In 2015, I was booked against my biggest rival in my hometown of Itaja [Paulo Henrique Campelo Rodrigues]. It was very emotional – a matter of honor. This guy graffitied over my name at my own academy. After he challenged me, I accepted, and had one of the best fights of my life. I beat him for three rounds. I didn’t want to finish fast. I just wanted to beat on him. I hit him a lot. That fight was important on a personal level. After that, folks in my town started to believe in my potential. Another important fight was winning the championship belt in South Africa [at EFC 86]. It was a fight that opened new horizons for me. I came in as a huge underdog. The guy [Igeu Kabesa] was 12-1. I submitted him in less than 2 minutes. It was an incredible moment. As far as losses go, I lost the second bout of my career [to Carlos Silva]. It was near my hometown. I was pretty excited for that fight, since I had a victorious debut in MMA, and only had one loss in muay Thai. I was arrogant. I played with my opponent. The guy would kick me, and I’d wipe it off. I’d tell him his strikes were weak. I’d ask him to hit me in the face. I was really cocky. At that moment, I turned into someone I’d never been. I lost my humility by not showing respect to my fight mate. I ended up getting knocked out in front of everyone. It was the first fight of mine my father had attended. I was flat on the mat in front of my father. It was the biggest lesson of my life. After that loss, I took some time to reflect on it. Then I won eight in a row. That loss forced me to make a lot of changes.

What brought you to the Pitbull Brothers academy?
My arrival at Pitbull Brothers was a game changer for me. I kept thinking I had to be loyal to my previous team. It held me back – a lot. I’d get fooled. There was stalling. Promises were made but never kept. And I stuck around, wanting to be loyal. I wasted seven years with my old team. I did have some wins. That’s something I can’t deny. But coming to Pitbull Brothers was a total transformation of my life and my career. It brought me to where I am today. I am better known, being interviewed my international media. I started to do real MMA training. I got to know wrestling. We have the best boxing and jiu-jitsu coaches. There is a large number of training partners, skilled in various styles. There are eight to 10 fighters in my weight class alone. I have plenty of sparring partners. Pitbull Brothers is the best academy in the world. There’s no better. Whoever comes here and feels how our training is, will understand. It was the best choice I’ve ever made.

Can you talk about fighting in the U.S. for the first time?
A great dream of mine is coming true, which is to know the United States. It’s something I always thought about, even when people didn’t believe in me. The three wins in South Africa were great in preparing me to feel confident about winning my next bout. In South Africa, I faced off against three really tough opponents. I beat all three by submission, though most of my maturing as a fighter occurred within our academy. They got me ready to make history in the PFL.

What can you say about your next opponent, Mike Barnett?
He’s a great opponent. He’s super tough and has heavy hands. Of course, we’ve studied him. Every step he takes within the cage have been studied – what he does, what he repeats. He’s tough but he’s standing in my way. I’ll never allow him to get in the way of my life’s dream, especially considering all I’ve been through to get here. I see myself beating him in a very exciting way for everyone watching. I trained hard to knock him out. Maybe he thinks I’ll try to only grapple with him, but I’m a complete fighter. Wherever he wants to go, I’ll be ready. If he goes to the mat, I’ll submit him. If he keeps it standing, I’ll KO him. It won’t be boring and there will be no scorecards.

Does the possible $1 million prize in the PFL tournament influence your thinking at the moment?
I don’t think much about the end-of-year $1 million prize in the PFL. Of course, that’s my ultimate goal. When my teammates bring it up, it bothers me a bit. The money is not what’s most important. The main thing is going to the PFL and showing why I deserve to be here. I’m here to make history. The prize will be a consequence of that. I’m here to show my talent. I’m here to finish my opponents. The money doesn’t motivate me any more than I already was. I’m the same Reinaldo in the cage, whether it’s for $1 or $1 million.

Can you share some details about your training?
My training sessions have been hard. I’m lucky enough to have a sparring partner who’s very similar to Mike Barnett. He’s about the same size. He’s strong. He likes to strike on the ground, box, and grapple. I’m lucky in that regard. My friend Gian Souza [Patolino] has been a great help. He’s very aggressive and strong, same as my opponent. My opponent has a lot of holes in his game. He forgets to defend when he goes to attack. He goes in blind. It’s going to be a chess game. I’ll set my trap. He’ll fall for it. I’ll catch him. He’s going to fall. I have several weapons – a complete game. He won’t be able to stand it. My primary goal is to keep it standing and to knock him out. Our boxing coach is Everton Lopes. My ground game is also sharp. I was lucky to work with [wrestling coach] Eric Albarracin here in Brazil. Fellow fighter Jose Mauricio da Rocha is always with me, helping with my groundwork, and will be in my corner. And our jiu-jitsu coach is Vinicius Teixeira. I’m very ready. Barnett won’t be able to blink. If he relaxes or tries to take a deep breath, he’ll lose.

What are your plans for the future, beyond this fight right now?
My plan is to enter the PFL tournament. I want to show why I deserve to be here. I’m going to make history. I’m also looking for a more stable life. I’d like to stop working other jobs, like driving for Uber, and waking up at 5 a.m. to teach classes. I’d like to be able to only train and rest, so I have more time for my family and for my daughters.

Anything else you’d like to share?
To my fans - I’m at 100% today. Thankfully, this won’t be one of those fights where I’m dealing with an injury. I’m very well prepared and confident. This was a flawless training camp. I’ll win this fight. Unfortunately for my opponent, he’s in my way. So, I must get past him. I’ve been working hard for 15 years, waiting for my opportunity. This is my opportunity now. I’ll give my best.