Wanderlei and Sonnen will be the coaches of TUF Brasil 3. Photo: Disclosure
The experience of participating in previous editions of the The Ultimate Fighter Brazil It’s something remarkable in an athlete’s life. The euphoria of entering the house was the subject of the first special report of SUPER LUTAS. However, after the end of the reality show, fighters need to face the harsh reality of the MMA scene.
Some of the participants in editions of the program receive the chance to continue in the UFC or other prominent events. However, many others end up not being used by the organization, and, consequently, need to reposition themselves in the market.
According to the three TUF Brasil participants interviewed by SUPER FIGHTS, not even exposure on open television was enough to guarantee a financially healthy life throughout their careers.
Marcos Vinicius "Vina”, a participant in TUF Brasil 1, cannot support himself financially by being exclusively a professional MMA athlete. “I wanted to be able to live just from sport, getting up in the morning without worrying about paying bills or chasing sponsorship. But unfortunately, I still suffer from this. I have to teach, I train, I teach again”, described the man from Paraná. “At this point, TUF didn’t make much of a difference. And this works for both sponsorship and events. They don't pay for good scholarships here in Brazil. It is complicated. The people in Brazil think about making money instead of passing it on to the athletes. Events want to pay R$2, R$3 for athletes to fight… That’s complicated,” he continued.
For him, the lack of financial support was one of the factors that led to his unsuccessful stint in the UFC. In three fights held, Vina suffered two defeats, two of which were by knockout or technical knockout. “When you are at a big event, you need to have experts in all areas to help you. And when you don't have that, it's complicated. I have willpower, I have human resources, but I lack the support to get there and play my role. I think that was a key factor for me,” he pointed out.
“If you’re not in the UFC, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to live well,” says Jambo
Team member Rodrigo Minotauro at TUF Brasil 2, Thiago “Jambo” Gonçalves was not reused by the UFC. He was defeated by Viscardi Andrade in the round of XNUMX of the program – the fighter himself considers his participation to be “very weak”. However, Jambo managed to return to the international MMA scene, performing in the Japanese event Pancrase.
Precisely for this reason, the fighter is able to maintain himself financially as a professional athlete, despite going through difficulties. “I live by fighting, but very poorly. It was like that before TUF. Brazilian fighters struggle to pay the bills, and, if you're not in the UFC, it's unlikely you'll be able to live well and exclusively from fighting, receiving what national events pay,” he commented.
For him, the only benefit that his participation in TUF may have brought to his career was precisely the signing with Pancrase. “The only thing that could have helped me was when it came to finishing my fight in Japan, but other than that, nothing changed. I continue like most Brazilian fighters. My scholarships didn’t increase,” he noted.
“Being a former TUF increases the fighter’s responsibility”, says Macarrão
Macarrão (right) only had one fight in the UFC. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Leonardo Macarrão, a TUF Brasil 1 participant, even saw a small difference in her purses after leaving the house. However, this also ends up bringing extra responsibilities. “There are two sides of the coin. You get paid more to fight, but you have the responsibility to prepare yourself better and better so as not to deviate from expectations, and this increases the costs of preparing to fight too much,” he stated.
In the UFC, Macarrão only had the opportunity to perform once, being defeated by Thiago Bodão on the same day the TUF final was held. Away from home, however, the fighter has shown consistent performance, with four victories in different Brazilian events, all by knockout or technical knockout. Even so, the financial situation is not easy for him either. “Thank God I always had the support to live off the fight, but I don’t live off that alone,” he said. “I teach private classes at the Paris clinic, which is also my sponsor.”
In the third and final part of SPECIAL TUF BRASIL, former participants comment on their current moments and reveal their plans and expectations for the future. Don't miss it!
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