On April 1st 2011, boxing news website Pro Boxing Fans released a column titled “When a Loss is More than a Loss: Boxing a Sore Loser Compared to MMA”, in which writer Matt Taylor states:
“One of the major problems in the sport [boxing] though is the mentality that once a fighter loses, he becomes damaged goods or is no longer a talented prospect or contender”.
LFA bantamweight Daniel Araújo was just 10 years old when the aforementioned column was released – the age at which he elected to focus on pursuing a boxing career. Yet, over a decade later, the former professional boxer would fall victim to the very scourge highlighted in the quote above; that is, boxing’s fickle fixation with unblemished records.
“To be a professional boxer, it is very hard to make a good career” Daniel explains to LFA.com. “… in boxing, if you have one loss its crazy; people put you down”.
Indeed, training with renowned Cuban boxing coach Jorge Rubio in Florida, USA, Daniel swiftly assembled a 6-0 professional record in less than eighteen months. However, the young Brazilian cruelly lost his seventh professional boxing match – a bout against American Chauncey Grace for the WBC USNBC Silver Lightweight Championship – via split decision.
“The fight, if I win, can change everything” Daniel says. “I was supposed to sign with Top Rank after that win. They sent, I think, two guys to watch me. They say I have to win. That’s the thing, I lost. After that, everything goes down. It was very hard to find other people to trust”.
Although the “Brazilian King” would make a victorious return to the ring over six months later, it would ultimately prove to be his final professional boxing bout. Holding a 7-1 professional record, Daniel closed the door on his boxing career.
“Boxing, I think, is dirty” Daniel admits. “It’s very dirty. It’s very hard to make a good career there if you don’t have anyone that calls you”.
“That’s why I was very bad in my mind” Daniel explains. “I was a little depressed. I have a psychologist, she helped me. She told me ‘Hey, I think you have to come back to Brazil, to family and friends, so you can be more healthy mentally’”.
Taking the advice of his psychologist to return home to his roots in Brasília, Federal District subsequently reunited Daniel with the gym where his combat sports journey began – Bonfim Brothers. It was this return that ultimately redirected his journey towards MMA.
“I come back and start training again with the Bonfim’s – Gabriel, Ismael, and the older brother [Odair] (he’s the coach)” Daniel explains. “They tell me ‘Hey you have to stay here. We want to help you with everything you need to be a professional [mixed martial artist]. We know the way, we can put you to work with Jason [House] (that’s my manager right now), and we know how to make a good career in MMA, so let’s do it – you just have to learn correctly’”.
Under the tutelage of Odair Bonfim and Renato Ferreira, Daniel emulated the momentum of his professional boxing career and swiftly accrued a 6-0 professional MMA record within eighteen months. Remarkably, the Brazilian obtained all six victories via KO/TKO inside the first round.
By early 2025, Daniel had signed his first LFA contract. He would make his promotional debut on the preliminary card of LFA’s sophomore Las Vegas event, LFA 203, against undefeated Uzbek Azizbek Temirov – the younger brother of UFC flyweight Ramazan Temirov.
“The first time that Jason [House] sent [Azizbek Temirov’s name] to me, I don’t even watch his fight” Daniel admits. “I just say ‘Yes, let’s do it, let’s do it’ because LFA is a big company. I know that most of the fighters in the UFC, they fought at LFA”.
“After, I go to watch his fights, and I’m like ‘Oh, he’s really good’” Daniel continues. “He has high level boxing, but I can fight with anyone that has good boxing, because I believe my boxing is very good”.
Executing a highly disciplined performance that showcased excellent counter-striking and use of his jab, Daniel soundly defied the oddsmakers who had deemed him an underdog. Going the distance for the first time in his professional MMA career, the Brazilian defeated his Uzbek opponent via unanimous decision, with 30-27 scorecards awarded by all three judges.
The performance appeared to invoke a confidence, perhaps best captured in a post-bout interview uploaded to YouTube by Caged Minds Combat Sports News, in which Daniel stated “I just showed tonight that I can be in the big stage. I can fight against really good fighters… I just showed to everybody I’m ready for everything coming up”.
Those words certainly rang true when Daniel returned six months later for his sophomore promotional bout at LFA 216 in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso for a matchup with Thomas Bryan. In less than ninety-seconds, Daniel ended the contest with an astonishing flurry of punches to earn the seventh first-round KO/TKO victory of his professional MMA career. Deservedly, the 24-year-old received a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus for his efforts.
“I trained to do that” Daniel admits. “Knock him out in the first round, and to get performance of the night”.
“The first fight, against Temirov, I just show how smart I am” Daniel adds. “The second fight, I show how I can beat you really fast – really quick. I just show the levels you know. I’m a different level. That’s what I try to show, and I think I did”.
With the premier developmental organization in mixed martial arts making a return to the Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Federal District on January 23rd 2026 for LFA 225, Daniel now looks towards the biggest opportunity of his professional MMA career – an LFA co-main event in his hometown.
The 8-0 Brasiliense phenom contests Brazilian Top Teams’ Derick Borges, who enters LFA 225 holding a 10-4 professional record. Daniel’s knockout proficiency will certainly be put to the test against Derick Borges – the 30-year-old has never lost a professional bout via KO/TKO.
“I want a good win” Daniel affirms. “I want to knock this guy out. If it goes to the ground, I’m gonna submit him because my grappling is really good. Nobody [has tested me on the ground yet], but if they want, they gonna see!”.
The author extends his utmost gratitude to Daniel Araújo, Jamie McClintock, and Caio Portella for making this article possible.
Image sourced from LFA on X (@LFAfighting)
