Walysson Aguiar, a Brazilian MMA fighter who was shot twice at age 13 and abandoned by his mother, is seizing a last-minute opportunity to fight at Brave CF 78 in his hometown of Fortaleza, hoping to use the sport to turn his life around and provide a better future for his children.
Walysson Aguiar’s life story is one of hardship and resilience. At the tender age of 13, he was shot twice and subsequently abandoned by his mother in Fortaleza, Brazil. Martial arts became his savior, and now he’s making the most of a last-minute opportunity at Brave CF 78, a mixed martial arts event in his hometown.
Like any other day, Aguiar woke up on a Wednesday morning and headed to the gym. He had a shift as a security guard after lunch, so he had ample time to train at V8 MMA. However, his usual routine was disrupted when his phone began to ring non-stop at 10:28 a.m.
Joilton Lutterbach, a fellow fighter, had missed weight for his main event bout with Luan Santiago at Brave 78. Another fighter, Manuel Mena, also came in overweight for his bout with Marcelo Marques. The company decided to pair Mena with Santiago, leaving Marques without an opponent. V8 MMA’s head coach then called Aguiar with an offer.
“Are you injured? How much do you weigh right now?” the coach, Moura, asked. Aguiar, a natural bantamweight, was around 158 pounds at the time. He was taken aback when he was offered to fight the very next day at a 158-pound catchweight. After a moment of shock, Aguiar rushed to the hotel to step on the scale before the weigh-in window closed, making the fight official.
Aguiar, now 28 years old with a 3-1 record in the sport, has always dreamt of being a professional mixed martial artist. However, his wife was not very supportive, often downplaying his chances and labeling him a “backyard fighter.” This tension led to the end of their marriage, and Aguiar had to leave his home, wife, and two children.
“This fight will be a turning point for my life,” Aguiar declared. “God has given me this opportunity because I’m capable. It’s all fuel to me.” Despite the challenges, Aguiar remains committed to his children. He refused to take a room at the fancy Brave CF host hotel in Fortaleza, choosing to stay closer to his kids instead. He even spent nights sleeping on a public square nearby just to be around them.
Aguiar’s life has improved slightly since his coach got him a job as a security guard. “I have no support aside from my coach. I have no sponsors, nothing,” Aguiar admitted. “I’ve reached a point of walking 32 miles to the gym to train because I had no money to pay for the bus ride. There are days I simply don’t sleep, but my kids are my fuel and I want to give them a better life.”
Reflecting on his past struggles, Aguiar said they were nothing compared to what he experienced as a teenager. “I was shot twice and spent months in hospital when I was 13,” Aguiar recalled. He got involved with local drug dealers and was left to fend for himself after his mother walked away, leaving him and his sibling behind. Despite these trials, Aguiar remains hopeful about his future in the sport and is determined to provide a better life for his children.
“This is my life,” Aguiar stated firmly. “The sport has changed me, has taken me from the streets. I’d be dead already if not for the sport. But I truly believe I will be in the biggest stages in the MMA world not only because I deserve this, but because I was born for this.”
As for his upcoming fight with Marcelo Marques at Brave CF 78, Aguiar is confident. “The camp he’s done and the strategy he’s made for his previous opponent won’t change a damn thing,” Aguiar said. “I’ll be very specific here: I want to defeat him by submission, rear-naked choke. I’ll land a good hand on him and then I’ll end this fight with a submission.”
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*Marcelo Marques vs. Walysson Aguiar. Photo via Brave CF*