Entering the UFC cage for the first time to compete is already enough pressure for any fighter to need to overcome, but getting ready for an Octagon debut actually became a form of therapy for Brazilian flyweight Raulian Paiva ahead of UFC 234.
Paiva signed with the promotion after defeating fellow prospect Allan Nascimento on the Contender Series back in August, and felt that his life would finally change for the better. Yet, his world turned tragically upside down just a few months after his victory aired on national television in Brazil.
Paiva’s victory made him a known figure in the small town of Santana, Brazil, where he lives and trains.