Jafel Filho had to deal with a “crazy injury” prior to his latest UFC fight, a decision defeat to Allan Nascimento in May, and vows to be at his best when he enters the octagon Saturday for a UFC Rio clash with Clayton Carpenter.
Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of his flyweight bout in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 11, Filho revealed he was bit by a spider and it led to an infection just days before flying to Las Vegas to face Nascimento.
“I’m in my best shape now, unlike my last fight when I had a crazy injury,” Filho said. “I was ready to lose my leg, basically. But now, I’m 100%. I had a lung hyperventilation in my last fight because of an infection, but this time I’m completely healthy.”
Filho, who was coming off back-to-back first-round submission victories in the UFC against Daniel Barez and Ode Osbourne, said he was advised by a doctor to pull out of the fight, and the only person who knew about the injury was his wife.
“I couldn’t even walk up until Tuesday,” Filho said. “I flew there, almost 10 hours of flight practically standing the whole time, afraid of making the thrombosis worse. The doctor told me I couldn’t go, but I went anyway. I took a huge risk. No one from my team knew, I hid it from everyone. The only person who knew was my wife. I was very irresponsible, but it was my call.”
Filho started to feel better on the final day or his weigh cut and decided to reveal the whole story to his head coach Andre Pederneiras. The Nova Uniao leader questioned if Filho could go on and compete, and had him do some moves and drills on the mat to prove he was fit.
“I felt a few lingering issues when I was warming up [on fight night],” Filho said, “But again hid from them. I didn’t tell anyone.”
Despite the loss in the cage, Filho doesn’t regret going through with the fight.
“I actually feel like a winner for everything I went through,” Filho said. “Only I know the pain I felt when I was hospitalized. Only I know the full story. So for me, that was a huge victory, me fighting against myself. I almost got it done in the first round. Who knows, maybe one day, when I’m 100 percent, I’ll get that opportunity again.”
Filho said he’s “100 percent” this time around, and was actually surprised when the UFC reached out with an offer to be part of the Fight Night show in Rio de Janeiro. Filho, who many times in the past was in that same arena to watch his idol Jose Aldo compete in front of the Brazilian crowd, will be the one making the walk this time.
Carpenter is “a really good, tough fighter,” Filho said, but sees his fighting style “playing right into my game.”
“I used to see the crowd chanting ‘uh vai morrer, uh vai morrer’ and think, ‘damn, maybe one day I’ll get that chance too,’” he continued. “And now my time has come. I’m really excited. I’ve even been working on my mindset so the emotions don’t get the best of me. I know I’ll have a great performance.”
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