Veteran fighter Diego Brandao is aiming for a return to the UFC.
After years competing internationally, primarily in Russia, sometimes outside his natural weight class, Brandao`s record shifted significantly, moving from 20-11 upon leaving the UFC in 2016 to 29-22.
He eventually reached a point where he decided a change was necessary.
A former UFC competitor and winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Brandao resolved to “fix his life” and leave overseas promotions, relocating back to North America with a clear objective: demonstrate he still belongs in the UFC by taking on promising contenders in the U.S.
In March, Brandao faced featherweight prospect Jamie Siraj (12-2) and secured a stunning first-round spinning wheel kick knockout that quickly went viral, earning him the Tuff-N-Uff belt. Just recently, on Sunday – near the venue of UFC 317 where Ilia Topuria made history – Brandao defended his title with another wheel kick knockout, this time against Canaan Kawaihae, a younger fighter and Contender Series alum.
Brandao expressed optimism about getting a call from the UFC. “I think the UFC is going to call,” he told on Tuesday. “We’ll talk to them tomorrow and see what they thought [of the fight]. Sean Shelby was there, but he was surrounded by people and left before the co-main event.”
According to Brandao, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby played a key role in his decision to stop fighting in Russia.
Brandao recounted a conversation with Shelby: “I left the Russian money because I went to Las Vegas and asked Sean Shelby what was missing for me to be back [to the UFC],” Brandao stated. “[He said] ‘Diego, leave Russia and fight in your weight class. Knock three people out and call me.’ [I said] ‘F*ck, why didn’t you tell me that a while ago?’ I finished the first fight decisively. The second one, boom, it’s over. He mentioned three fights? Let’s do it. My focus is entirely on that third fight because Sean Shelby is a man of his word. He said it, and I believe he’ll follow through.”
Brandao believes UFC President Dana White has conceptually approved his return, but the process relies on Shelby. “Dana White has already cleared me [to go back], but Sean Shelby is the key,” Brandao explained. “I know Dana White *can* put me back easily, but there’s a process. Dana won’t just open the doors because he knows my history, my past. He likely thinks, ‘I could easily bring Diego back, but he might mess things up. No, let’s see if he truly wants it. Let him work for it.’ I believe that’s Dana’s perspective. And I’m not as significant as someone like Conor McGregor who can just call Dana directly.”
He prefers this path, the struggle, because he believes it makes him appreciate the opportunity more. “And I like this way, to fight, because that’s how you appreciate things,” Brandao stated. “If I have to fight a third fight, I’ll approach it with hunger because then they will truly see and understand my desire. They want to see me performing like that, in a battle, fighting hard, because they won’t just let me walk back in. They understand who I am; they know I need to earn it the hard way to value it. They recognize that.”
Brandao feels he is much changed and more mature as both an athlete and a person compared to his earlier UFC tenure, staying clear of outside-the-cage issues and effectively handling prospects. He anticipates defending his Tuff-N-Uff featherweight title in November against veteran Kai Kamaka III (a former UFC, Bellator, and PFL fighter) if the UFC doesn`t call before then.
Brandao expressed confidence regarding a potential bout with Kamaka, who is from Hawaii. “Hawaii, BJ [Penn] is the only one from there that beats me, when we trained together,” Brandao said confidently. “The others, no chance. I’ll finish him.”
