Flavio Queiroz aims to make history with BRAVE Combat Federation

TDT | Manama                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Flavio “Flavinho” Queiroz aims to repeat history and become the first BRAVE CF Flyweight champion. The Brazilian became the first athlete to win the Thunder Fight Flyweight title in 2018 and has now zoomed in on a more global title ahead of his fight with USA’s Zach Makovsky in the co-main event of BRAVE CF 73 on August 12.

BRAVE CF 73 will form part of the first-ever Pan-American Combat Week running in Bogota, Colombia, from August 8 to August 12. A win for either athlete could catapult them closer to a title shot and one step closer to etching their names in the BRAVE Combat Federation history books.

It might surprise most to hear that while growing up, Queiroz was never a fan of combat sports. Brought up in Montes Verdes, Minas Gerais state, Queiroz’s first contact with mixed martial arts was at 14 years old when his stepfather introduced him to PRIDE shows.

But the young man was horrified by the violence and hated it, claiming it wasn’t a sport. He preferred skateboarding and dreamt of traveling the world with it. When it came to fighting, Queiroz was often the peacemaker between his brothers and his peers at school.

He was always respectful and would go as far as helping new students settle in before the bullies overwhelmed them. After completing his SAT equivalent in 2019, Queiroz left home and went to college in Sao Paulo.

He moved in with his great-uncle but soon found out that they had nothing in common and was close to packing his bags and heading back home before finding a friend named Ivan - a mixed martial arts instructor - who offered him a life-changing experience.

With no money and accommodation, Queiroz was offered work in a mixed martial arts gym in return for accommodation. Queiroz obliged. Being surrounded by martial arts, Queiroz eventually tried his hand at Muay Thai to keep fit, and people were in awe of his talent.

He ended up competing in both Muay Thaiand MMA. Queiroz showed the maturity he had growing up as he balanced his academic life, his fighting, and his work as a receptionist - which helped him pay off his studies.

Despite many teammates encouraging him to drop out of his Physical Education course to fight full-time, he remained committed and eventually graduated. While he soldiered on, things were not always easy, and Queiroz will attest to the humbling journey he experienced as he had often relied on the help of others - especially Ivan.

Sometimes his teammates would share their breakfast with him, or he was eating lunch at a state-sponsored restaurant where meals were roughly one 100fils. Queiroz did not have it easy at all, and his schedule at that time reminded him of how badly he wanted to break the mold and have a different life from his parents.

It is why he strived to be a skateboarder, as he’d often seen how those guys travelled the world to showcase their talents. But it was clear that Queiroz had something special when it came to MMA, and he had the potential to make something out of it.

“Flavinho” eventually met former BRAVE CF champion Lucas Mineiro - who also trained at the same gym. Mineiro’s professional career was taking off, and he eventually left Chute Boxe Diego Lima gym.

At that time, Queiroz was popular on the local professional MMA scene with ten wins and only two losses. Mineiro was so impressed with the Thunder Fight Flyweight champion’s talent that he invited the man to join his crew.

Soon after “Flavinho” got a call to fight on short notice at BRAVE CF 25. He wasted no time in proving his worth on the fastest-growing MMA platform and submitted Jean Felipe Souze in the first round - a moment that “changed his life forever”.

With two wins and two losses under the BRAVE CF banner, Queiroz has only lost to top contenders, including Velimurad Alkhasov and Azat Maksum. His latest bout saw him bounce back with a huge KO victory over Igor Taylon at BRAVE CF 60.

He is now looking forward to going on a title run, starting with a big win over a veteran in Makovsky in Bogota, Colombia, at BRAVE CF 73. Flavinho’s dream of becoming a skateboarder may not have come to fruition, but his wishes to travel the world did as he has been to various places, including Kazakhstan and Bahrain, showcasing a different kind of talent under BRAVE Combat Federation.