Lucas Gabriel is days away from his biggest test to date. At ONE Fight Night 31 on Friday, May 2, the Brazilian meets Zhang Lipeng in a lightweight scrap in Bangkok, Thailand. However, arriving at this moment has not been an easy journey.
In an interview with ONE Championship, the 25-year-old recounted Lucas Gabriel growing up in Curitiba, Brazil. From an early age, Gabriel was taught the value of hard work. As a child, he aided his parents to bring a little more money into the household.
“After some time, [my parents] decided to buy toys to rent on the weekends, and the three of us worked together every weekend, assembling and disassembling toys at children’s parties, houses, and parks. They were always very hardworking and fought hard to have a decent life, and they always encouraged me to do the same. They support me in my career and in the decisions I make in my life,” Lucas Gabriel recalled to ONE.
Lucas Gabriel Turns to Martial Arts After Getting Bullied
At school, Lucas Gabriel was on the receiving end of bullying. It directly led to his associating himself with the wrong crowd, which caught the attention of his mother. Seeing that he could be going down the wrong path, Gabriel was enrolled in martial arts classes that would ultimately alter his life’s path.
“I arrived on the mat as a somewhat insecure teenager, quite shy and with socialization difficulties due to what I had experienced at school. However, from the very first training session, I felt welcomed by the coach and my training partners. I stood out a lot first in jiu-jitsu, and then I started competing in tournaments,” the 25-year-old stated.
Lucas Gabriel Builds Off of Loss in Amateur Fight and Receives Aid from Lineker
The unbeaten prospect quickly showed he had an aptitude for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai. Driven by a desire to compete, he accepted his first amateur match on three days ’ notice. It was the loss that stoked the flames of his passion for getting better each day in the gym.
“I always wanted to fight MMA, but I didn’t know if that was what I wanted for my career. I accepted the fight three days before and lost. And that loss, the way it happened, it made me want to train even more. And it was then, around the age of 15, that I decided that this was what I wanted for my life,” Lucas Gabriel commented.
Ocimar Costa was taken by Gabriel’s talent, bringing him in to help John Lineker prepare for a match against Fabricio Andrade. That connection would help bring him to the global stage. Costa laid it out for the promising star, stating if he could incur the cost of traveling to Thailand he could find himself on an event for ONE.
“[Davis] said he could get [help] me a fight at ONE Friday Fights, but that I would have to go live in Asia, more specifically in Thailand. And also that I would have to cover all the travel and accommodation costs, that he would only help me get the fight and a gym for me to train at for free,” Lucas Gabriel said.
Lucas Gabriel and Family Relocate to Thailand
After defeating Ibragim Shaymanov, Gabriel moved his wife and daughter to Thailand as well. It was a big move for the family, filled with cultural challenges. However, Lucas Gabriel was sure this was the right move to elevate him to the next level as he chases golden dreams.
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“We came to Thailand without speaking English, without knowing if everything would work out, or if we had just wasted our savings for nothing, with a 7-month-old baby who was completely dependent on me and my wife, and without having a support network to help us with her. I overcame this every day knowing that I am doing my best in pursuit of my big dream, and also knowing that I will provide a good future for my family,” the Brazilian recounted.
Lucas Gabriel Ready for Crucial Fight on Friday
The trials and tribulations make his meeting with Zhang all the more important. It is a huge chance against a talented veteran to see if he is ready for the lightweight division’s elite, and Lucas Gabriel has all the confidence that he is ready for the moment.
“I’m very confident that I’ll win. If the match is on the ground, I’ll be ready. If I need to take him down, I’ll take him down, and if the fight goes to striking, he’ll be frustrated. I’m ready for anything, and I hope to have an excellent performance and win,” Gabriel finished.
ONE Fight Night 31 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, May 2. The action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
