Matheus Camilo entered in adversity, but exited in a dream.
As Camilo (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) boarded a plane back home to Las Vegas from South Korea, he did so with a new job title: UFC fighter. His performance on “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” was enough to get a signature “Welcome to the UFC” from White, who spectated the Z Fight Night event across a video call. Camilo Dorobshokh Nabatov by split decision.
Camilo is only 24, but the moment meant so much – because he’d been through so much. Born in Brazil, Camilo sacrificed his entire livlihood to put himself in the best position to pursue MMA greatness.
But he almost didn’t even get that far. When his father died years ago, Camilo felt like quitting. He was on the brink of never fighting again. That’s when his mother told him that was not an option. So he packed his bags and moved to the United States. For four years, he did not see his mother, until he made a trip back home in early 2024.
Years after his mother rerouted her son’s path, Camilo broke the news to his mother – a motivating moment he had dreamt of.
“She was crying a lot,” Camilo recently told MMA Junkie. “It was a dream come true. She talked about my father and how proud he would be. I told her that everything is for her because one time, I wanted to give up my dream. When my father died, I wanted to give up. She came to me and said, ‘Son, don’t give up. Keep following your dreams. Because if you give up, it doesn’t make sense. So keep following your dreams.’ I told her, ‘Mom, I just want to say thank you for you. You gave me the strength to not give up on my dreams in the hard moments.’ She was crying a lot. I dedicated that victory for her.”
Camilo will resume training at Xtreme Couture after a trip home to Brazil for the holidays. He’s hoping to make his debut in March – and wants White to know he has so much more to show than what he displayed in South Korea.
“To be honest, I really wanted to show more with my striking,” Camilo said. “The guy just tried holding me on the ground, tried holding me on the cage, but I did my best. He took me down. I tried to do damage. I got up and was punching him. I punched him a lot in his face. I wanted to show more of who I am. That was good. He was a tough opponent. He tried to put his game, but it is what it is. I did my part.”
So focused on the initial task of making it to the biggest MMA promotion in the world, Camilo is through the doors – and now has new focuses at hand. The hard work only gets harder.
“I knew it would happen one day,” Camilo said. “(It was) no rush. I knew my time was going to come. … I know now all the hard work is going to start now. It’s just a new journey. My dream is to be a champion inside the UFC. I’m going to work for this every day. I know it’s not easy. I know I need some time. But this is my dream, brother. I’m going to be a world champion there.”
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