Rafael Xavier’s Healthy Aggression

Rafael Xavier has slugged his way out of a dark, difficult past and now stands on the cusp of a happy and successful future.

One of the great virtues—and central ironies—of combat sports is that regulated violence so often provides athletes with the means to escape lives plagued by poverty, crime and real-world violence. As he prepares to face Alex Polizzi in a light heavyweight alternate bout at PFL 2025 World Tournament: First Round 4 on Thursday in Orlando, Florida, the 34-year-old Brazilian spoke frankly to Sherdog.com about a childhood that left him, by his own admission, desperate and hateful.

“When I was a child of 9 years old or so, my father was sent to prison,” he said. “I was confused and angry. I wished to control my anger. I then asked my mother to sign me up for martial arts.”

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Thursday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Mom obliged, but it took a while for the young Xavier to find the martial art that best suited his growing frame and athletic gifts—and provided a proper outlet for his aggression.

“I started in jiu-jitsu but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to hit something,” Xavier said. “Since a cousin of mine trained muay thai, I joined his academy. I earned my place there by helping out and cleaning. I was eager to fight. After one year of training, I had my first bout. I won. I became hungry to win my second bout, my third bout and so on. Martial arts allowed me to finally focus. I was a kid from a poor community, with hatred in my heart. In places like that, it’s hard to find someone to show you the right path to take. Fighting saved me.”

Even once he found his path, however, the struggle was far from over. Xavier’s early trials echo those of many others who have used fighting as an outlet and escape from poverty and insecurity. “It was very hard to find support, emotional or financial, in my chosen profession. The only person who supported me was my mother. She worked as a maid and unfortunately didn’t have much time to help with my pursuits. She was also afraid I’d get hurt. But she also saw that it calmed me down. It made me happy. I started making more friends and building a new family unit. There’s nothing else like it.”

Working menial jobs in parallel with training and fighting, one occupation in particular made a deep impression on Xavier, leaving him with respect for the hard work—and a burning desire to leave that life behind. “I worked hard as a trash collector in Santos, Sao Vicente and Praia Grande [state of Sao Paulo, Brazil]. We covered about 30 km [19 miles] every day, rain or shine. It’s insanely hard work. Whoever does that type of work deserves much respect. Without overtime, my salary was around 525 reais [about $93 US dollars today]. The conditions were bad, from the low pay to the very old trucks we drove. Around this time, I was looking forward to seeing the ‘Hancock’ movie premiere on network TV. I missed it. I didn’t realize that due to the yearend holidays, I’d be working from 6 am to 11 pm. I came home, filthy and exhausted. I sat down to rest. When I opened my eyes, it was almost 6 am again, and I had to rush back to work. At least I was already dressed for work. It’s hard. People who’ve had that job know. Some residents would put too much weight, sand or even dogs in their trashcans. It’s like being at an academy. When I was still working in garbage collection, I participated in kickboxing tournaments. Alex Pereira was the champ. Cesar Almeida was also there with us. It was hard to juggle the sport and my collection job. I switched jobs and went to work at a tire repair shop. My friends who worked in collection could only look forward to working for 30 years straight only to have a very slim retirement income. We didn’t make enough to raise a family.”

Having seen the alternative up close and personal, Xavier sees fighting as the barrier keeping himself away from the life of a trash collector or tire shop employee: “Every fight is important. I train hard every day. I invest my time and make sacrifices. I would never underestimate an opponent. With each fight, I train just as much as before, if not more. Fighting is a talent and a blessing I received from God. And, of course, it’s not forever. The body will say when it’s time to stop.”

Xavier’s professional journey has seen him transition from kickboxing to MMA, much like his onetime peers “Poatan” and “Cesinha,” both of whom now labor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Xavier, who carries a 13-8 record into his semifinal, sees the tournament championship and $500,000 purse as an important step in his professional arc—a step that goes through Polizzi.

“As far as I know, he comes from wrestling,” Xavier said of his fellow Bellator MMA alumnus. “He’s tough to beat and is able to sustain some damage. He did well in Bellator. Of course, there are holes in his game. My team and I put together a strategy to explore that. I usually win by KO but I know jiu-jitsu. I can submit him if the chance presents itself.”

In preparing for the opportunity of his professional life, Xavier is leaving no stone unturned. “I got ready at Ronny Markes and Marcelo Nunes’ Porrada Training Center. I trained along Marcelo, who’s also in the PFL. We work with a lot of great fighters, including heavyweights like Alexander Volkov and Bruno Cappelozza.”

For Xavier, winning the light heavyweight tournament, with the prize money and attendant fame, would be a tremendous boon, but for now he remains focused, balanced between the past he has overcome and the future to which he aspires. “I had my difficulties in the past, having an absent father and a mother who was always working. Coming from a poor community, many people choose the easy life in drug trafficking. The problem is once you go into that life, there’s no coming back. I chose to take a different path. I’m thankful to God for how far I’ve gotten with the talents I received.”