Diego Brandao recently made a statement both with his impressive performances inside the cage and his distinct choice of fight wear.
Brandao, notably the first Brazilian fighter to win a season of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2011, recently captured and successfully defended the Tuff-N-Uff featherweight championship. He achieved this with finishes over 145-pound prospects Jamie Siraj and Canaan Kawaihae earlier this year. Fans quickly noticed that he accomplished these victories while wearing custom shorts identical to those designed for Alex Pereira`s UFC 300 showdown with Jamahal Hill.
However, this wasn`t Brandao`s original intention.
Explaining the unexpected situation, Brandao recounted, “I went specifically to buy the yellow Jose Aldo Brazil shorts. But when I arrived [at the venue] for the Jamie fight, there were no shorts available. I was frustrated. `Damn, there are no shorts! I wanted to look like Jose Aldo, I wanted to look good for Dana White and everyone to see.` Then I saw the name `Pereira` and thought, `These shorts are good.` People told me, `Take these, they are Alex Poatan`s.` And for those who don`t know, my full name is Diego Pereira Brandao. I just thought, `You know what? I`ll fight in these shorts.`”
Interestingly, Alex Pereira finished Jamahal Hill at the 3:14 mark of the first round in April 2024. Brandao stopped Jamie Siraj in a remarkably similar duration, just 14 seconds longer. In his subsequent title defense against Canaan Kawaihae, Brandao fought into the later championship rounds before ultimately securing another knockout victory.
Reflecting on the fan reaction, Brandao stated, “It feels like fate, brother, because I won the fight and now everyone is talking about the `Poatan` shorts, calling me `Mini Poatan`.” He added, “I love it. I even shaved my head, and I guess I do look a bit like Mini Poatan, but he`s the real one. It just happened organically. I originally wanted the yellow Jose Aldo style for my return to the U.S., but I ended up with Poatan`s instead. It turned out even better.”
The 38-year-old veteran is currently expected to defend his Tuff-N-Uff title again in November, potentially against Kai Kamaka III. However, his primary goal remains to secure a return to the UFC roster sooner rather than later.
