BRAVE Combat Federation welterweight Thiago Vieira is looking for redemption as he returns to the cage in his home country Brazil.
He is set to face Carlston Harris at Brave 3: Battle in Brazil on March 18 in Curitiba.
The event will be headlined by a much anticipated 5X5 non-title featherweight bout pitting Lucas ‘Mineiro’ Martins (16-3) against Paulo ‘Bananada’ Goncalves (21-11).
Vieira (8-1 MMA, 0-1 Brave) has built a rich reputation in the MMA world by winning all his bouts by knockout or submission.
In an unexpected happening, and against all odds, Vieira suffered his first defeat as a professional at Brave 1: The Beginning getting knocked out by the late replacement Gadzhimusa Gaziev.
Vieira has put this loss behind him and cleared his mind out of any negativity surrounding that glitch. He shared his latest thoughts and plans for the upcoming battle.
“My mind is clear and there are absolutely no thoughts or emotions each time I step into the cage. When the bell rings, I have to destroy what is in front of me. This had always been my game plan and this time I have more reasons to be intense and it matters,” he said.
Representing one’s country is a big deal for any athlete but as Vieira stated, in Brazil, and given the living situation, everyone is emotionally ‘dangled’ when it comes to fighters representing the flag. If you are a Brazilian and competing in a sport, you feel like a whole nation is behind you.
As the fight gets closer, Vieira plans to take his training camp to California. Previously spotted at Alliance MMA, California, he joins great athletes like Phil Daves, Jimmy Harbison, Paul Bradley, Dominick Cruz as he fine tunes his weapons and gets ready for March 18.