Rising from the Slums

Success Stories

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Palhares stand as examples of successful fighters who rose out of their poor origins to succeed in the United States and Japan.

During his childhood in Espirito Santo, Jacare often turned to petty crime. After his best friend was murdered, Souza’s mother sent him to Manaus. There, he met jiu-jitsu instructor Henrique Machado, who, upon realizing the innate talent in the young boy, took him under his wing. Under Machado’s leadership, Jacare flourished, as good genetics and a strong desire to succeed were nurtured. Souza has since become one of the greatest champions in the history of jiu-jitsu and has made a successful transition to MMA.

Brazilian legend Wanderlei Silva and UFC hall of famer Randy Couture both highlighted Souza as a fighter to watch in the middleweight division. He will take on Jason “Mayhem” Miller for the vacant Dream middleweight championship on May 26.

Like Souza, Palhares has also garnered international attention with his move to the UFC.

As a child, he, along with his 12 brothers, staved of starvation by eating pig’s feed. He often slept under a bridge in Rio de Janeiro, where his dream of becoming MMA royalty was born.

Welcomed by Brazilian Top Team, Palhares moved into a small room with two other fighters. They were hired by the team in the Cruzada Sao Jorge community, which was located behind their training center.

“It was perfect for me,” Palhares says, “because I didn’t miss any training.”

Palhares was recently forced to withdraw from a UFC 102 bout with Alessio Sakara after he broke his leg. He has never been knocked out or submitted and owns a 2-1 mark inside the Octagon. He submitted Ivan Salaverry in his UFC debut in May 2008, dropped a unanimous decision to two-time Olympian Dan Henderson at UFC 88 and outpointed Jeremy Horn four months ago at UFC 93.

Struggling fighters have plenty of inspiration when it comes to MMA. The stories of Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva and Nogueira are full of perseverance. They encourage their countrymen to pursue their dreams.

One of the sport’s most accomplished practitioners, Nogueira has held heavyweight crowns in both Pride and the UFC.

“I see MMA following the path of soccer,” Nogueira says. “It’s popular in all segments of the population, as people see the sport as a real chance to improve things at the social level, and besides earning money, fighters can represent the country abroad.”

Set to meet Couture in August, the 32-year-old Nogueira does not see the sport slowing down anytime soon.

“MMA is growing a lot in Brazil. In the United States, it’s already one of the most popular sports,” he says. “The more Brazilians win there, the more opportunities there will be for young fighters here. The deal is to focus. Whoever can train and achieve good results will have their place in the sun.”

Reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, a man many view as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, thinks prospective mixed martial artists should take their time and develop their skills.

“I think the main thing is you always let things happen naturally,” Silva says. “Many young athletes want to come to a place where everybody has arrived, and that obsessive search affects their careers. I always talk to my students and children. If you want a lot and like to fight, you have to do it for the love of it. Forget the money and fame and work a lot.”

Silva sees virtue in patience.

“Money, success … it may or may not come fast, and you can get frustrated,” he says. “I never looked forward to being rich and famous. MMA is a sport that’s growing. We have great athletes, many talents. The same thing happened in soccer. It’s the globalization of the sport. We’re exporting many athletes, and they’re earning their spots.”

Former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva spoke candidly about the struggle to succeed.

“I also had to suffer a lot,” he says. “If you’re training hard, continue training a little longer, a little more. There are more promotions now, and the world of MMA still needs good athletes. When the event is over, you have to make the promoter remember your name. If they remember, you automatically have another fight scheduled. MMA is growing; the market’s very good. Your success can only come from you and nobody else.”

Eduardo Ferreira contributed to this report.