The landscape of the UFC was significantly different the last time Allan Nascimento stepped inside the octagon.
When “Puro Osso” secured a submission victory over Carlos Hernandez in January 2023, notable figures like Amanda Nunes were still actively competing, Aljamain Sterling and Francis Ngannou held championship belts, and neither Alex Pereira nor Jon Jones had yet made their respective shifts in weight classes.
Nascimento is finally set to end the longest break of his UFC tenure, spanning 868 days, as he prepares to face Jafel Filho this Saturday at UFC Vegas 107. Over this extended period, he faced numerous obstacles.
“It`s pretty crazy, isn`t it? It`s genuinely very challenging,” Nascimento shared with MMA Fighting. “This sport demands immense physical effort. I truly encountered some setbacks along the way, including injuries and health issues that led to scheduled fights being canceled, but thankfully, I`m in good health now.”
Following his second consecutive win in the UFC, Nascimento was forced to withdraw from planned bouts against Tim Elliott and Sumudaerji. After recovering from knee surgery, he then pulled out of an initial booking with Filho in August during fight week. The Chute Boxe representative was later slated to return in March, but his opponent, Asu Almabayev, was moved up to a main event slot against Manel Kape.
“MMA is highly unpredictable because it doesn`t operate in seasons, making structured periodization difficult,” Nascimento explained. “You have to remain active constantly, always anticipating a date and a fight booking, which means training 365 days a year. But that`s just part of the sport. It`s an intense competition with perhaps three or four fights annually alongside 300 training days. This naturally increases the probability of injuries and more serious issues.”
Despite the nearly 900 days since his last cage appearance, the Brazilian flyweight dedicated much of that time to training and evolving in the gym. He is confident he will deliver a standout performance upon his highly anticipated return. To help overcome the persistent health challenges, Nascimento revealed he integrated yoga into his routine.
“I learned how to better manage my training intensity,” Nascimento stated. “Even though I`ve been out for two and a half years, I made a point not only to focus on fighting and training but also to start practicing yoga, for example. It`s been incredibly beneficial for me. We shouldn`t solely concentrate on the physical combat aspect; we fighters must also nurture our mental state to successfully execute our strategies inside the cage. And yoga has significantly helped me with that. I believe it`s been a tremendous asset recently.”
From a martial arts standpoint, both Filho and Nascimento are recognized submission specialists hailing from prominent Brazilian MMA academies – Nova União and Chute Boxe, respectively. Nascimento anticipates a strategic “chess match” when they meet at the UFC APEX on Saturday night.
“It`s tough to definitively say `my jiu-jitsu is superior,` but I feel better prepared, with my jiu-jitsu more finely tuned,” Nascimento commented. “Being a black belt under Master Barbosa speaks volumes about the depth of knowledge he`s imparted and how he`s helped me adapt my jiu-jitsu from gi competition to the different demands of MMA. We understand they are distinct.”
“I believe I`ve demonstrated this in the majority of my career fights. I think this upcoming bout will resemble a chess match where the outcome might depend more on who makes fewer mistakes than who fights better overall. We both recognize our own qualities and strong points, so I believe it will come down to the finer details. Jafel is a well-rounded fighter. We know he`s comfortable striking, enjoys that aspect, and possesses highly refined jiu-jitsu. Both of us have areas we can exploit, so the key will be seeing who does that more effectively during the fight.”
