Dhouglas left football and moved to MMA. Photo: Disclosure
In the country of football, which child hasn't dreamed of being a professional player one day? Dream for many, chance for few. Dhouglas “Puma” Ribeiro was one of those few who managed to get there. Acting as a striker and midfielder, he played for two years at Vasco da Gama, in Rio de Janeiro. At the age of 16, he arrived at Grêmio, from Porto Alegre, and signed his first professional contract. But, at the age of 19, the change that no one expected came. He decided to exchange the grass for the ring and began his journey to become an MMA fighter. And, this Friday (29), the former player will have his eighth fight, when he will take action at Sicário MMA, which will be held in Curitiba.
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“I have always been an athlete. Since I was six years old I have always played football, my father has always been my biggest supporter and took me to the football fields. He always did everything he could to help me pursue my career. But, since he was little, he always watched the fights and knew I could do it. There was something inside me that said my future was in fighting. So, at 19, I decided to give up football and follow my dream of being a professional fighter. This has always been my dream”, said the Curitiba native.
In five years as a professional, Puma, currently 24 years old, has built a record with seven fights, with five wins and only two losses. The Immortal Fight Team athlete, who has a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu and practices Muay Thai, has already won three fights by knockout and hopes to achieve another quick victory when he faces PRVT athlete Luis Felipe.
“I had an excellent training camp for this fight. I paid special attention to grappling and my ground game, but I also looked for outside training to sharpen my stand-up game. I am absolutely certain that I will be better and better prepared than ever. I know that my opponent is an athlete who likes grappling, he has a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and I believe he will try to take the fight down. My strategy is to keep the game going. I trust my Muay Thai a lot. I'm going to this fight to quickly define the fight on the feet, but I'm prepared and very confident in keeping the fight in my game for the three rounds if necessary”, concluded Puma.
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