“Believe.” One simple word from UFC star Jessica Andrade changed UFC women’s bantamweight star Priscila Cachoeira’s perspective prior to her promotional debut in 2018. Cachoeira’s journey to the Octagon was not a smooth ride at all. She had to fight her own demons before she fought opponents inside the cage. From the darkest pits of misery, she is here today thanks to her and her mother’s perseverance. Cachoeira never stopped pushing forward and today she has not only fulfilled her dreams but is helping others like her have a secure life.
The UFC Vegas 104 saw Priscila Cachoeira earn one of the wildest victories of her career against bantamweight prospect Josiane Nunes, who was known for her relentless pressure. ‘Zombie Girl’ perfectly used her uppercut to win via a spectacular one-punch knockout. The win was not just special because of the knockout but was also symbolic of her recovery from substance abuse. Now, her mission in life is to help other addicts recover. After winning, she requested the UFC head honcho for a well-deserved performance bonus.
According to her Instagram update, she received the bonus. Her hands were clasped together as she sobbed, thanking the boss for his kindness. Her tears represented those of the little girl from Rio de Janeiro who has achieved her goals and is now strong enough to help others as well. The caption read, “broke down in tears after receiving the news that she had received the performance bonus of the night for her 1st round knockout @pedritaufc.”
“I fight for a reason, I fight because I want to prove myself. I used to be a crack user, I was into drugs, and I understand every week I hear news of people dying because of drugs. Believe in yourselves,” Cachoeira said at the post-fight presser. She further added that she wanted to open a rehabilitation center with the bonus money, for people to recover from addiction. She added, “Fighting saved my life, and I want to continue to help save lives. So help me out!” Her wish was silently granted by Dana White.
Priscila Cachoeira was raised in Rio de Janeiro and fights out of there. Her moniker ‘Zombie Girl’ is also a fitting nickname for her. “Because I always move forward, no matter what is thrown at me in my fights,” she said to the UFC. The 13-6-0 star got clean from crack coca–e addiction in her 20s after years of apparent negligence and abuse as a kid. Cachoeira’s mother—whom she considers her hero—saved her by helping her channel her addiction tendencies to MMA. Today she is strong enough to not only knock out opponents but help others who suffer like she did in the past. There are many powerful athletes in UFC with stories like hers, and guess what? Even a champion like Alex Pereira faced addiction in his youth.
Much like Priscila Cachoeira, Alex Pereira also battled addiction
Priscila Cachoeira isn’t the only athlete in the UFC to have battled substance abuse in the past. Jared Gordon is a fighter who battled severe substance abuse issues, to the point where he was pronounced legally dead for two minutes after a prescription medication overdose. However, he was able to rally back, and is now clean, helping others struggling with addiction. Even former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira suffered from addiction, growing up in Sao Paulo.
‘Poatan’ did not have it easy when he was just a young boy in Brazil. The former light heavyweight champion, who is a millionaire with huge accolades, was working at a tire shop before he hit glory. And how was he paid when he was working there? Not with money but with alcohol. He faced his demons with addiction since then, finding kickboxing and then MMA. Cut to the present, Pereira took the initiative to help out the young people of the world by sharing his journey to success from a dark past.
The light-heavyweight champion uploaded his visit to a rehab center on his Instagram and captioned it, “I’m very happy to be able to motivate people who are going through this big problem that is addiction. I’m here to talk and show that if you want to do it, you can do it.”
He even shared his addiction tale during the UFC embed video before UFC 313. He described that being a UFC champ is not the end goal. Even overcoming life obstacles makes us a champ. “I stopped drinking after four years of training. I already won. That’s a victory. So I’m already a champion in life,” ‘Poatan’ expressed.
He even spoke about it with MMA Fighting and said that it’s been more than a decade since he stopped drinking after his 4th relapse. These stories from UFC fighters inspire many to find a path amid their struggles. What do you think about their struggles and victories? State your thoughts in the comments below.
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