Las Vegas — Brazilian featherweight Marcio Barbosa spent years away from his family, working to achieve his dream of making it to the UFC.
He did just that on Tuesday, earning a UFC contract as part of Week 3 of this year’s Dana White’s Contender Series.
“I’m very, very happy with being here, to be able to win and get this contract for the UFC,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press following the event, before diving into the time apart from his family, including his parents.
“I have not seen them in four years. My dad, he hugged me, it was four years ago, it was the last time he gave me a hug. He was able to hug me, I saw him, he gave me 100 reis, which is 20 bucks now,” Barbosa (17-2) recalled. “He said ‘the only reason why I don’t give you my heart is because I can’t. But you go out and you do things.'”
Barbosa promised he would return with a contract from a big promotion. “Before my last fight, my next to last fight actually, I wanted to go see them.” Barbosa’s coach, however, questioned why he would go home without having that big contract. “Now I was able to get it. I’m very emotional, very happy to get this.”
Barbosa picked up a TKO finish of Cage Warriors vet Damon Wilson inside of a round on Tuesday to secure entry into the UFC. Credit for his performance, at least in part, goes to his activity level.
“I’m a very active fighter. I’m always training, I don’t stop, I’m always out there, getting prepared,” he noted. As his coach once said to him, “an athlete trains without any pain, and also in pain. So you’re going to go out there, and you train.”
That means Babosa is always ready. “I feel that whatever happens, I’m always training, I’m always ready. We are always ready for a challenge, so we’re always getting ready, always in camp. So when an opportunity like this comes, you’re going to be ready for a fight.”
Watch the full Dana White’s Contender Series 2025 Week 3 post-fight press conference with Marcio Barbosa above.
