Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Rony Jason Mariano Bezerra fought with a heavy heart against Mike Wilkinson at UFC on FUEL TV 10 on Saturday (June 8), 2013 in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.
While his slick triangle choke submission victory just 84 seconds into the first round appeared relatively effortless, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil 1 winner was energized with motivation due to his brother.
According to Mariano Bezerra, his sibling is a recovering drug addict who was once down and out, but after a year of being clean is starting to pull his life back together. Mariano Bezerra performance in Brazil was inspired by the strength his brother shows in fighting off drug addiction to lead a normal life.
He explained to FUEL TV correspondent Karyn Bryant on the UFC on FUEL TV 10 post-fight show:
"My brother is an inspiration to me because he's a former drug addict, he's been clean for one year and it's every day is better for him and finally he got clean. I just fight every four months and he fights every day so that's something I have to mirror myself in and also for my mother because she supports everything and she raised me and him and my other sister, so they are all warriors and I rely on them every day."
The inspiration from his brother shined through inside the cage as the 29-year-old put Wilkinson to sleep for his third consecutive UFC victory.
The Brazilian felt that he was in for a special night ahead of time, and if he can continue to perform in a similar fashion going forward, hopes to one day fight for UFC gold.
"It's my third time in the UFC so I knew something good was coming, and I'm very happy with this and I hope to slowly get in place to fight for a title someday."
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