Issue 225
February 2026
Before championship belts were on the line, the world's greatest fighters were locked in their own battles. Isaac Barnett delves into the gritty and inspiring MMA origin stories that forged these warriors into the legends they are today.
TAI TUIVASA – THE SUBURBAN SLUGGER
Tai Tuivasa was born on March 16th, 1993, in Sydney, Australia. He was raised in the western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt, in a household with 11 siblings. The large family environment created a natural competitiveness, and he channelled his energy into sports, particularly rugby league, which he played throughout his youth. His competitive nature also instilled a strong sense of personal pride and stubbornness.
“I’m from a place where fighting is pretty regular, and it kind of makes up who you are and where you stand,” he told the UFC. “There’s a lot of 300-pound-plus guys, so there were enough of them around to fight.”
He continued to play rugby, and as he grew taller and stronger, he developed a 6’2", 300-lb frame, much larger than most kids his age, which gave him a significant advantage on the field. By 17, Tuivasa's talent on the rugby field caught the attention of the Sydney Roosters, a professional National Rugby League club that signed him in 2010. He was on his way to a pro rugby career but disliked the politics in the sport. One day, he was in a casino with his teammates when he gambled away $20,000, which brought his rugby career to an end.
“At one point in the evening, I honestly believed I’d make a million dollars,” he told the Telegraph. “Yet when I finally walked out, I had nothing, not even enough money for a cab. And that’s when I decided I had to get out of rugby league. Get back with my family and a different way of living.”
Many of his teammates and coaches thought he would come back, but he stood his ground and moved back to his family's house to begin a new chapter. Shortly after, he was back home watching the UFC with some friends, and after one of them suggested he could “smash those guys”, he began training MMA. His natural athleticism and freakish frame allowed him to excel quickly in the sport, and it wasn’t long before he made his professional debut.
PAULO COSTA – A COCKY KILLER
Paulo Henrique Costa was born on April 21st, 1991, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He was raised in a small home by his father, Carlos Roberto, and his mother, Maria Augusta. He grew up in the nearby city of Contagem with his older brother Carlos, who would later become a mixed martial artist and one of his coaches. Costa’s family lived modestly, with Costa's father taking on whatever work he could find. Like many Brazilians, he loved football, spending hours playing it, but his cocky nature, coupled with the rough environment, often landed him in trouble.
“He always had that swag in him,” his mother told the UFC. “His brother had to get him out of trouble sometimes, normal things. However, once he put a little bomb in the pipe that led to my neighbour’s balcony. The bomb exploded inside the pipe. I was about to go to work, and the neighbour called me. I went home and beat him with a stick.”
Recognising that their son needed discipline, Costa's parents enrolled him in Muay Thai at the age of eight, and shortly after, he began training in jiu-jitsu. As he became a teenager, he stopped jiu-jitsu and focused more on weightlifting and bodybuilding. He put on a huge amount of muscle and became significantly stronger than every other kid in the gym.
When Costa was 17, his father passed away after a battle with throat cancer, leaving the financial situation too difficult for his mother and brother to manage alone. As a result, the family's circumstances changed, affecting his ability to continue his martial arts training. Costa began working for a telemarketing service and was ready to abandon all his training. However, his brother, who taught jiu-jitsu classes, recognised Costa’s talent and knew he could make something of his life if he followed MMA.
Speaking to ESPN, Carlos Costa said, “I talked to my mother and said he had great potential in the fight business. I told her that he wanted to be a professional MMA fighter, and that we had to support him because I believed in his potential.”
Costa quit his job and transitioned to full-time MMA training. He had a few fights on the Brazilian regional circuit before his big break came in the form of TUF: Brazil.
DIEGO LOPES – LEAVING IT ALL BEHIND
Diego Lopes da Silva was born on December 30th, 1994, in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. He was raised by his father, Elias Lopes, who held a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and his mother. Martial arts were not just a hobby; they were a cherished family tradition. Lopes grew up alongside his sister, Debora, and brother, Thiago Freitas, and they also became black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He initially trained at his father's gym in Manaus. The family atmosphere fostered discipline and a competitive mindset, and martial arts became the most essential part of the young boy's daily life. By 7, Lopes was already competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments and began displaying a natural talent and dedication. As Lopes progressed through his teenage years, he continued to excel in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and earned his purple belt by 16. At that point, he knew he wanted to become a professional MMA fighter.
“School wasn’t going well for me,” he told the UFC. “One day, my mom said, ‘Either you work, or you study. What do you want to do?’ But I wanted to keep fighting to stay on the path.”
It was around this time that he began transitioning into professional MMA. However, life in Manaus presented limited opportunities for a young fighter with big dreams. At 19, he had competed in 7 fights, with a record of 5-2.
Lopes's life took a sharp turn when a man arrived at his gym and offered him the opportunity to become a Jiu-Jitsu instructor at a gym in Mexico.
“To be honest, I didn’t even know where Mexico was. I had no idea what language they spoke. I had no idea what this was all about, other than that they wanted me to teach. So, I said, ‘Yes, I’ll go.’ Imagine arriving in a country where you don’t speak the language, and you have to teach classes, but you don’t know how to communicate with the students. That forced me to learn Spanish very quickly.”
Lopes reluctantly left everything and everyone behind. He chased his dream and promised his family that he would not return home until he could give them a better life. And the rest is history.
