The Brazilian mixed martial arts community mourns the loss of Diego Braga, a 44-year-old veteran fighter and father to Gabriel Braga, a recent finalist in the Professional Fighters League tournament. Police officials in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have confirmed that Mr. Braga was killed by organized crime in the area on Monday.
Reports indicate that Mr. Braga’s motorcycle was stolen from his garage on Sunday evening. Witnesses stated that Mr. Braga attempted to retrieve the vehicle by going to a nearby favela, or slum district, but was mistaken as a member of a rival militia by the Comando Vermelho criminal organization. He was then allegedly killed.
Mr. Braga led the Tropa Thai martial arts team in Rio de Janeiro and provided self-defense and martial arts instruction to underprivileged youth in favelas. He also coached his son Gabriel for his mixed martial arts bouts, helping the young fighter reach the 2023 Professional Fighters League featherweight division finals. Gabriel Braga lost a rematch against Jesus Pinedo in the tournament finale for a $1 million prize.
Diego Braga actively competed as a mixed martial artist from 2003 to 2014, facing notable opponents such as Charles Oliveira, Milton Vieira, and Adriano Martins – all of whom went on to participate in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
A video published on Diego’s social media shows the theft, which occurred around 2am on Monday. Two men appear taking the vehicle from the garage of the fighter’s building. As the motorcycle was not insured, Diego started the day trying to gather information to locate the vehicle.
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