Paulo Borrachinha confirms end of agreement with Wallid Ismail and nominates girlfriend as new representative

P. Borrachinha in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC

Brazilian standout in the UFC middleweight (up to 83,9kg), Paulo borrachinha confirmed the end of the relationship with businessman Wallid Ismail. On your channel YouTube, the Minas Gerais native explained what led to his breakup with the agent and indicated that his girlfriend, Tamara Alves, will be responsible for leading his career. According to the fighter, there was no serious friction in opting for the change, just disagreements.

“It’s not that I fought with him (Wallid) or he fought with me. There were no exchanges of punches, blows, insults. It turns out that there were disagreements about how to take it. In fact, Wallid started to represent me and I have things that I think should go one way, and he thinks it should be another way. It was a divergence from the way I approached my career. It doesn't mean I'm right or wrong, or he's right or wrong. Just different ways”, said Paulo.

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Close to completing the last fight on his contract with the UFC and still uncertain about his future in the company, Borrachinha guarantees that he has not signed a contract with a new manager. According to the former middleweight title challenger, Tamara Alves, his girlfriend, will manage his future commitments in the company.

“I didn't sign with another manager, but I have a very important person who helps me a lot, she's a woman. She has a very good feeling, she has excellent interpersonal contact, and she has already been talking to the UFC, exchanging ideas with the UFC and resolving various issues, she has a good relationship with the company. She is a person of extreme trust and her name is Tamara Alves. At first we are working together and I am very happy, and I have excellent expectations,” she said.

In the published video, Paulo narrates part of his professional relationship with Ismail. According to the miner, the commitments made to the president of Jungle Fight began after Paulo's successful stint at the company.

“I won the belt (in Jungle Fight), I defended the belt. I fought three times. That's when Wallid started to change roles. Instead of just being the employer, he was responsible for finding an event for me to fight. At the time, I was experiencing extreme financial difficulties. I couldn't pay for the training with what I received. (…) There were other businessmen who contacted me, offered me other fights, in Europe, Russia. (…) He (Ismail) looked at me fighting in Japan (on New Year's Eve from 2016 to 2017). The scholarship was already in dollars, better than what I received in Brazil. With two weeks left before traveling to Japan, I got the news that the fight was cancelled. (…) He was also trying to reach an agreement with the UFC and the agreement happened. (…) This (the relationship) happened between 2017 and 2022. It’s five years, eight or nine fights”, he concluded.

Famous for his aggressiveness in the Octagon, Borrachinha is experiencing an unprecedented moment in his career. The Brazilian has accumulated two consecutive setbacks and occupies sixth place in the middleweight division.

With an eye on recovery, Paulo is committed to making his debut in the 2022 season. On August 20, the Minas Gerais native will face off against Luke Rockhold, in a long-awaited clash by the UFC 278.