Champ Daniel Gaucho reveals he came close to quitting MMA before meteoric rise to BRAVE CF title

Daniel Gaucho came very close to quitting the sport before joining BRAVE Combat Federation and having a meteoric rise to the top of the Middleweight division, where he now reigns as the first-ever world champion. Out of action for two years, he was already looking for alternative jobs when the call came to join BRAVE CF. And the rest, as they say, is history.

One of CM System’s finest jewels, Daniel has dealt with injuries and said the family and friends support was instrumental for his rapid rise. After signing for BRAVE CF, he fought and defeated Bruno Assis at BRAVE CF 25, in Brazil. His victory was so devastating that he was awarded a title shot against Chad Hanekom. Gaucho can’t contain the tears when he remembers the moment he learned he would fight for the BRAVE CF world championship.

‘’I was very happy, because for the longest time I thought about quitting… (breaks down in tears). I feel very emotional about it, it’s hard to hold back because, not only me, but a lot of people go through hard times. And sometimes people give up on their dreams. But I’ve always had help and support from my family, from my friends. From my coaches as well, always elevating me, saying that it would work out’’, said the champ, who remembers he felt left behind at times due to the success of teammates and his inactivity.

‘’I was inactive, not fighting… Sometimes I felt I was behind, not behind, but left behind. I’ve never…in these two years I wasn’t doing anything, and not to mention what I went through to get where I was. And I remember that when I won the belt, I felt as if it was a lesson to me. I was very close to calling it quits , work as security guard, or anything else. Before receiving this opportunity that changed my life within six months’’.

Now established as the world champion of BRAVE CF, Daniel has the biggest challenge of his career as he takes on top contender and Arab MMA legend Mohammad Fakhreddine in the main event of BRAVE CF 41, which takes place on September 17th, in Bahrain. The champ is confident of getting his hand raised again and counts on the rage from his time before BRAVE CF to earn one more victory.

‘’When I go in there, my rage, my anger of all the lost time, of all the difficult times, it comes back. I take that energy and put it in my hands and I go for the knockout. I’m a very chill person outside of the cage, but once someone else wants to take my things from me, I become someone else’’.