UFC News & Features12 Questions for Allan Nascimento
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When the Ultimate Fighting Championship called, Allan Nascimento answered. The 30-year-old Brazilian flyweight will carry an 18-5 record into his promotional debut opposite the once-beaten Tagir Ulanbekov on the UFC 267 undercard this Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Nascimento enters the cage with some momentum, having submitted Elivaldo Lima Martins with a rear-naked choke at a Punho de Aco event on July 23. Before he steps into the Octagon for the first time, he passed through a gauntlet of get-to-know-you questions from Sherdog.com:
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Allan Alves do Nascimento
Nickname?
“Puro Osso” (“Just Bones”). When I joined my academy, I was extremely thin. I weighed nothing. As soon as people saw me, they called me “Puro Osso.” The nickname stuck.
Date of birth?
Sept. 11, 1991.
Height?
1.75m (5-foot-9)
Gym?
Chute Boxe Diego Lima
Where were you born?
I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It’s where I still live.
How’d you get into MMA?
I started training muay Thai at 15 years old, thanks to a suggestion by a schoolmate. I enjoyed it and stuck with it. Next thing I knew, I was already helping professional fighters get ready. My family wasn’t crazy about it at first. I started fighting as an amateur without their knowledge. For my professional debut, I almost fought in the United States without telling my parents, but that fight didn’t happen. By the time I had my actual debut in Brazil, I had a frank talk with them about what I wanted to pursue in my life. Despite the risks, they accepted it and still support me today; and now, they can see their son under contract with the world’s biggest promotion. I’m very thankful to my family.
Can you talk about your professional career?
I debuted in MMA in 2011. It’s been a decade of professional fighting. I’ve been building my name up on the national scene [in Brazil]. Little by little, I broke down the barriers. I’ve fought in the U.S., as well as Japan. For a long time in my career, I came close to scoring a UFC contract. In those crucial moments, I ended up having a few setbacks. I feel those things happened for the right reasons. It may have been too soon if I’d joined the UFC before now. Maybe I would have had a brief stint only. Today, I’m much better mentally and physically. It’s the right time for me to be in the world’s biggest promotion. I want to show my work on an international level now. I’m looking to further build up my career. I’m very happy to have my debut in Abu Dhabi.
How did you deal with several cancellations after your fight on Dana White’s Contender Series?
That was an upsetting moment for me. In 2018, I lost a split decision [to Raulian Paiva] at the Contender Series. It was a battle. I was complimented on my performance. Since that time, several unexplained mishaps took place, and I had to rethink my career choice. I had four fights fall through. I flew to Miami, weighed in, and on fight day, we were notified that the entire card was canceled. Since then, I also had some injuries that required surgery. It was depressing. By the beginning of 2021, I was booked to fight in Ecuador, but that was canceled 20 days prior. They were major tests. Thankfully, I kept my faith, and today, I’m under contract with the UFC. My last fight [in July] was on one week’s notice. I won by submission in the first round. I feel very fortunate to have received my UFC offer two days later.
How do you see your fight with Ulanbekov playing out?
It’s true that Russia has a good supply of strong, tough athletes, but people shouldn’t forget that Brazil is also full of extremely tough and very motivated fighters. Both countries are superpowers in sports, in general, as well as in MMA. Brazilians aren’t lacking in any way. Russians may be cold, but Brazilians never back down. Tagir is a complete and skilled fighter. He debuted in the UFC with a win [over Bruno Silva]. Honestly, I haven’t spent too much time studying his game. I’ll fight my fight, so I can put on a show and bring home a victory. I’m sure he’s equally motivated. I’m told that he trains with Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. That makes no difference to me. I’m a training partner to Charles Oliveira, the current UFC lightweight champion.
How has your training been for this fight?
Everyone who knows me knows that my name always goes along with Chute Boxe. I represent the Chute Boxe Diego Lima academy. Diego Lima has been my trainer since I got started at age 15. I’ll be representing him and our academy everywhere I go. All my camps are primarily done here. I sharpen my jiu-jitsu at the B9 academy [in Sao Paulo] under Marco “Barbosinha” Barbosa. His jiu-jitsu is amazing. We have a great partnership. The Chute Boxe spirit is what I’ll bring into the Octagon. It’s a different attitude.
What are your plans for the future?
I can’t say much about the future. I’m just looking forward to having a good debut in the UFC so I can build up my name in the promotion. I’m going to keep focused on my goals. The future is in God’s hands. I’m very happy to have my debut on a numbered UFC card featuring two championship bouts in Abu Dhabi. A lot of blood will be spilled on Oct. 30.
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