The UFC’s Octagon is known as the ‘ultimate proving ground’ and for most of us it represents possibly the most dangerous place you could imagine yourself. For one fighter, however, the Octagon is a place of fun that offers a welcome distraction from the day job.
By Fergus Ryan
When not competing in the UFC, welterweight Paulo Thiago is an agent with Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, mostly known as BOPE. BOPE are the Brazilian equivalent of SWAT, a special forces unit of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State in Brazil. When the people in Brazil need help, they call the police. When the police need help, they call BOPE.
Due to the nature of crime in favelas, BOPE units are trained extensively in urban warfare where they may be required to reclaim the streets, house by house, from the drugs gangs. Naturally hand-to-hand combat will be required if the automatic weapons BOPE agents carry are not needed. In addition to his BOPE training, Thiago has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo and a winning MMA record at 14 wins and only three losses.
MMA for fun
Having amassed an undefeated 10-0 record on the Brazilian MMA circuit, the UFC came calling for Thiago to take on Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in London. Despite being considered a heavy underdog in the fight, Thiago knocked Koscheck out in the first round, bagging €40,000 for also claiming the ‘KO of the Night’.
This started a mini-feud with Koscheck’s American Kickboxing Academy team. Jon Fitch avenged Koscheck’s loss at UFC 100 in a three-round decision. Mike Swick went the same route as Koscheck losing to a d’arce choke in the first round at UFC 109.
Thiago now became a title contender and faced a step-up in competition. He suffered two straight losses to Martin Kampmann at UFC 115 and then Diego Sanchez at UFC 121 (Fight of the Night).
Having gone 3-3 in the UFC the pressure came on to get back to winning ways. If that wasn’t pressure enough, his next fight at UFC 134 was back in front of his friends and family in Rio de Janeiro. Thiago whipped the crowd into a frenzy by walking out to the theme tune of the film “Tropa de Elite – BOPE”.
Even though his fight was on the undercard his entrance got the biggest ovation of the night as fans chanted “Caveira” (skull – the BOPE symbol) followed by “Vai Morrer! Vai Morrer!” (You’re gonna die!) With 14,000 fans behind him it was hardly surprising Thiago went on to take a decision victory.
UFC on FUEL TV: UFC Sweden
Back on the main card, Thiago has a tough prospect at UFC Sweden this weekend in Siyar Bahadurzada (20-4-1). Bahadurzada was born in Kabul, Afghanistan but trains with Golden Glory Gym and is based in the Netherlands.
Our good friends at the UFC kindly shared this video profiling Thiago’s day job with BOPE.
http://www.ufc.com/media/Paulo-Thiago-Ultimate-Weapon?nd=1
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