SAO PAULO — Chute Boxe is still trying to get back to its feet a month after the shocking death of UFC flyweight Allan Nascimento. A month has passed since the tragic loss, and his teammates and friends vow to forever represent his legacy both inside and outside the cage.
On Aug. 3, Nascimento was found dead from an apparent heart attack in his sleep, passing away at the age of 34. Diego Lima, who has coached Nascimento since he was 14, has decided to re-name his MMA institute in a way to honor his late
friend.
“There hasn’t been a single day when I haven’t cried,” Lima told MMA Fighting. “Our institute today, the Diego Lima Institute, is not going to be called the Diego Lima Institute anymore. It’s going to be called the Allan Nascimento Institute. As long as I live, I will honor his name. As long as I live, I will say his name because he was my student, he is my student, he is my athlete.”
Nascimento was more than Lima’s student. The UFC flyweight was a business partner and co-manager of several fighters, and planned on taking over that role when Lima eventually retired from coaching in the future.
“He was one of the most loyal friends I’ve ever had in my life,” Lima said. “He was my business partner. A lot of people didn’t know this, but when it came to all my management affairs, he was my partner. I would always have the conversations and negotiations, but the email account was ours, so all the emails, everything, was with him. And I used to joke with him that when he retired, I would retire too. He was going to fight until he was around 40 years old. That was our plan. Maybe he would go a little beyond that, maybe not, but and as soon as he retired, I was going to retire too, because then he would take care of everything. Those plans ended up changing a little bit.”
Norma Dumont, a UFC bantamweight who trained alongside Nascimento in Sao Paulo, also fought back the tears when opening up on what it meant to have Nascimento as a friend.
“It’s hard to talk about because Allan was an example to all of us,” Dumont said. “He was a guy who had impeccable conduct, both inside and outside the mats. The team was hit very hard, but we are getting back on our feet. Everyone is getting back on their feet and slowly returning to normal. We see Lima still very upset, still having a very hard time dealing with the situation, but I think it brought the team together a lot. Everyone became even more determined to represent him up there. It’s a legacy that will stay with all of us. What Allan represents to our team is discipline, honor, integrity, and being a great athlete, and that legacy will continue.”
It’s equally hard for MMA prospect Apollo Gomes, who flew to Las Vegas once to be in Nascimento’s corner and is currently scheduled to compete for a UFC deal on Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 8. Gomes vows to honor the “incredible person” Nascimento was in the octagon.
“[My DWCS win] is going to be a gift to him,” Gomes said. “He really wanted to see me there. He would always tell me, ‘Take it easy, ‘Apollito,’ your time is coming. You’re going to be working with us there.’ You can be sure that, beyond my own story, I’m also going to carry his story with me in there. I’m going to bring that contract home for both of us.”
“He was an example of an athlete and person,” Gomes continued. “I always trained with him, and at the end of every training session he would always have something to say to me. Training with him made me very happy, and his passing has been extremely painful for all of us, but I know I’m going to honor his name up there.”
Nascimento fought six times under the UFC banner, most recently losing a split decision to Mitch Raposo in June. The RIZIN and Legacy FC veteran was on a four-fight winning streak prior to the setback, claiming performance bonuses for his finishes over Carlos Hernandez and Cody Durden.
Marco Tulio and Elves Brener, UFC fighters who trained daily under the same roof at Chute Boxe, praise Nascimento as a role model to be remembered.
“Allan was an example of an athlete and person,” Tulio said. “He was an honorable man, a man with principles, someone who stood up for what he believed in. If you were doing something wrong, he was the first person to tell you that it wasn’t right. He was the kind of guy who led by example. He was an example of an athlete and a human being, man. It was a huge loss for us, but I believe that what he gave us was much greater than simply being an athlete or simply being a person. The combination of who he was as a person and as an athlete was incredibly powerful. It’s a tremendous loss for us, but he truly left behind an example for us to follow.
“He was one of a kind,” Brener added. “He was always in my corner for my fights. He was a guy with so much energy and heart. Our purpose in life here is to serve. He was an incredible champion. That kid was a beast. I carry so much happiness, so much joy, and everything I learned from him. He taught me so much, not only on the mats, but outside of them too, like things about life. I’m very happy to be able to go up there and represent him, elevate his name, and say his name after a victory. I think that’s something that’s stuck in the throat of not only me, but everyone at Chute Boxe.”
Members of Chute Boxe echo the same sentiment towards the late fighter, and Lima hopes to one day have an answer for all of this.
“There are so many questions,” Lima said. “I believe in God very strongly, I have a lot of faith in God. If I say I’m not upset, that would be a lie. If I say I don’t have doubts, that would be a lie. But I’m trying to find answers. I’m trying to find reasons. In the same way Allan always helped me with everything, I’m sure he will help me be strong. As long as I live, I will honor his name. And what I want most today is to be certain that heaven exists, that there is life after death. More than anything, I want to know for certain that he is in that heaven, and that one day I’ll be able to be there with him. The day I have that certainty, I’ll feel more at peace.”
