5 Things You Might Not Know About Diego Ferreira

Patience and perseverance are virtues that Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender Diego Ferreira has assimilated on the front lines battling distinguished stalwarts in the sport. The former South Texas Fighting Championships and Legacy FC lightweight champion has registered a 9-5 record in the UFC taking on well-known divisional figures like Anthony Pettis, Mateusz Gamrot and Beneil Dariush. As he prepares to do battle with Mateusz Rębecki on May 11 at UFC on ESPN 56, we take a look at five things you might not know about Ferreira.

His journey was molded by athletic pursuits

Born and raised in Careiro da Varzea, Amazonas, Brazil, Ferreira was involved in soccer and Capoeira. He spread his wings with Brazilian jiu-jitsu training at the age of ten under the tutelage of longtime coach and mentor Faustino Pina Martins Neto. He cut off all possibilities of a retreat and forged full steam ahead, earning the coveted black belt at the age of 18.

His armor gleams with grappling titles and wealth of experience

At 23, based out of California, he began teaching and competing in local BJJ tournaments immediately hitting the ground running by winning multiple tournaments. MMA pursuit soon followed and fighting became the hustle and heart of his life. Drawn by the footsteps of his idol UFC legend Ronaldo Souza, he charted a similar course, which led to his move to the United States in 2008. As for his accomplishments in the submission grappling domain, he has represented Brazil twice in the Nogi World jiu-jitsu championship, winning the bronze and silver medals in the years 2008 and 2009 respectively. He is also a former bronze medalist in the Pan American jiu-jitsu world championship summit and finished first place in the US Abu Dhabi world pro trials.

Life’s trials and destiny forged his path in MMA

To make ends meet, the Brazilian worked as a salesperson in a mattress store while teaching jiu-jitsu. Building a career out of fighting was out of the picture but there was an aching appetite for competition. It wasn’t until one day that a friend asked him if he was interested in making $300 in one night. He saw it as an opportunity to extend a helping hand to his family by sending money to them. That juncture marked the point of no return as he compiled a formidable 6-0 record with five submissions, which led to Texas-based promotion Legacy FC offering him a contract.

Passing the torch

Like him, his family is deeply immersed in jiu-jitsu. He claimed in an episode of ‘UFC Unfiltered’ that all four of his kids are engaged in the sport with the younger ones showing a deeper inclination towards the gentle art. He claims that his son Kiron has also started wrestling aiming for a scholarship and plans on becoming a UFC fighter eventually. In an interview with The Fight Site, he said, “He’s been training jiu-jitsu since he was eight years old… So right now he’s been really active and he already has really good goals in life, to be a UFC fighter too.”

He values his spot on the UFC roster

Like every other fighter who gets to compete on the grand stage of the Las Vegas-based promotion, Ferreira recognizes the stint as a “dream come true” and leaves no stones unturned in preparation every time he steps into the spotlight to cross swords. He told UFC.com, “For me, it’s a dream come true to fight for one of the biggest MMA events in the world. I know everyone wants to be here and trains for this, and just like I trained hard to get here, I will keep training hard and do whatever it takes to stay and make my way to the top.”