Patrick Teixeira, 29, could barely open his eyes at the end of the fight against Dominican Carlos Adames at the Casino Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas on the night of November 30th.
He was unrecognizable with the swelling and apparent cuts that earned him 18 hits in the face after 12 rounds. But he won the fight unanimously.
It was the boxer's 31st achievement in 32 fights as a pro, but the clash was unlike any other.
Teixeira joins a select group of world champions. Among the Brazilians, he is next to Eder Jofre, Miguel de Oliveira, Acelino "Popó" Freitas, and Valdemir "Sertão" Pereira, the last to have done so far in 2006.
The new champion, however, is still an almost unknown hero in the country. "I'm an introvert. I don't like to talk much. I'm not from [social media], either, so few people know me. I need to improve that," the fighter told Folha.
Teixeira was born in Sombrio (SC), a city with just over 25 thousand inhabitants, 240 km from Florianópolis. He began his boxing career at the age of 13 in a curious way: he dreamed of being like Bruce Lee, actor, director, and screenwriter, owner of his own style of fighting, inspired by kung fu.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon