Popó on his way to the ring at FMS 2. Photo: José Tramontin
With a career marked by titles and great battles, Acelino Popo He has faced numerous challenges in boxing. Even so, the four-time world champion was adamant in stating that the hardest blow he ever received happened outside the ring.
In an interview with 'GQ Brazil', the legendary boxer opened his heart to talk about the death of his mother, Zuleica Freitas, a fundamental figure in his personal development and responsible, among other things, for the creation of his famous nickname "Popó". She passed away at the age of 80, and, according to the Bahia native, no fight was able to cause him similar pain.
"The hardest blow I've ever received in my life wasn't in the ring. It came at the end of 2025, when I lost my mother. It's been a month already, and she was the person I loved most. We know that moment comes, but we're never truly ready. Everything I've experienced in the fight with the..." Wanderlei Silva"All that confusion doesn't even come close to the pain of losing my mother," Popó declared.
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The day of the hardest blow in Popó's life.
Zuleica Freitas passed away on December 13, 2025, in Salvador, Bahia. According to TV Bahia, she was hospitalized due to a bacterial infection, was discharged, but fell ill again and did not survive after returning to the hospital.
“My warrior mother who fulfilled her mission. And who leaves a legacy of great strength and love. It is with this joy that God receives her in his arms. Rest in peace, dear mother! My eternal love,” the boxer wrote on the day of his mother's passing.
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