Over current months, practically 400,000 individuals have been affected by the floods within the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
UFC bantamweight Vinicius Oliveira felt he needed to do one thing about it.
Oliveira was already in camp for his UFC 303 bout with Ricky Simon when tragedy struck, however he used his free time to distribute meals to these residing in shelters in his hometown of Porto Alegre. Oliveira’s dwelling was circuitously affected by the floods, however his mom’s home stayed underwater for weeks.
“The water solely went down two or three days earlier than I got here to Vegas,” Oliveira advised MMA Combating. “I left there a couple of days earlier so I can keep centered on this warfare forward of me, to maintain my thoughts one hundred pc right here, however I haven’t deserted them. I’ve people who have been working with me taking good care of all people.”
Oliveira stated his coaching camp wasn’t affected by the additional hours devoted to serving to the victims as a result of as a lot as he would have favored to aided each single particular person, “I knew I had a warfare developing and I’ve to assist myself first earlier than I may also help others.”
“I can’t assist individuals if I’m not OK,” Oliveira stated. “If I’m not one hundred pc, I can’t help others. I used to be capable of prepare accurately and assist individuals with the time I had obtainable, taking meals to the church and and shelters. I used to be doing what I might.”
The 28-year-old Brazilian gained his UFC debut with a third-round knockout of Benardo Sopaj in March, and pocketed two bonuses for finest combat and efficiency of the evening. That further $100,000 was a life-changing prize.
However a whole bunch of hundreds of individuals have “misplaced all the pieces” in Oliveira’s state, and he hopes the federal government supplies them an avenue to construct their properties once more.
“Folks misplaced all the pieces and they’re going to want cash to purchase issues. How are they going to do it?” stated Oliveira, who doesn’t put a lot weight on a win at UFC 303 bringing pleasure to the residents of Rio Grande do Sul. “Folks want pleasure, however what they really want is cash, man. Cash. It’s not about heads and hearts, it’s about offering to their households and getting their homes again up. The enjoyment they may really feel gained’t pay the payments, you understand? It gained’t construct their homes again however, positive, it’s one thing good within the midst of all of the chaos.”
Oliveira desires to money one other $50,000 bonus Saturday in Las Vegas, however doesn’t anticipate Simon to stress him sufficient to make it a Struggle of the Night time worthy bout.
“I’ll dominate him your complete time,” Oliveira stated. “He’ll attempt to take me down and gained’t be capable of. He solely does one factor good, and I’ve skilled actually laborious to verify it doesn’t work.
“That final combat [against Sopaj] didn’t present who I’m. I’m manner higher than that and I’ll show it on the twenty ninth.”
