Maria das Mercedes Galvao Pereira, who gave birth to "Loro" on June 23, 1981, passed away in 2012 with uterine cancer. Before losing his mother, Galvao made a promise in the hospital: he would win the Bellator bantamweight championship and dedicate it to her.
Months after his mother passed away in Manaus, Brazil, Galvao won three in a row to become the 135-pound tournament winner, but came up short against then-champion Eduardo Dantas. Galvao had another shot at the gold two years later, and submitted Joe Warren to win the bantamweight belt. After scoring the biggest victory of his career, "Loro" returned to Manaus to take the Bellator belt his mother’s grave.