Name: Alfredo “Mono con Navaja” Muaiad
Birthdate: 11/29/88
Location: El Tabo, Valparaiso, Chile
Fighting out of: RFT - Renovação Fight Team
Weight Class: Flyweight (125 lbs)
Record / accolades:
8-5 professional MMA record
Former Flyweight Champ in Chile
First Chilean to fight in Japan
Purple belt in Luta livre
Purple belt in Jiu Jitsu
Favorite food: Arab food, specifically the stuffed grapes that my grandmother who passed away used to make
Instagram: @sickmonkey_rft
Can you share your journey into professional MMA? What motivated you to pursue this sport and how did you overcome the challenges along the way?
I always played sports when I was little. I played soccer from the age of 5 until I was a teenager. When I left school, I met friends who trained Boxing and Muay Thai and I joined in community workshops. After a while training there, I
went to a more established gym where I joined an MMA team. I did around 20 amateur fights until in 2017. I managed to debut professionally since in Chile there were not many events. I was motivated to practice this sport because I was always good at fighting in school and as a teenager. I fought many times in the streets and when I discovered this sport, I found everything I was looking
for. I have overcome challenges with effort, discipline and remaining focused on my goals. I will never give up. I will fight for what I want until the end.
Who were your role models or sources of inspiration when you started training Martial Arts? How do you hope to inspire the next generation of athletes through your journey?
I have many fighters whom I greatly admire for their life stories, Nate
Díaz, Jose Aldo, Jorge Masvidal, and several more. I coach and have a group of students who I always try to show that this sport is a life option. If they want to make a living from this, it takes effort and dedication and they can go far. What I always try for them not to fall into the streets and show them to follow the path of this sport instead for their future.
Could you describe a typical day in your training routine? What aspects of your training do you think are crucial for young athletes to understand and embrace?
A typical day is getting up early to work doing MMA and Luta Livre classes, then technical training or physical preparation. Then I eat and rest a little. I have classes again, then 2 more training sessions to finish the night. I live far from the gyms so on my long trip home, I rest. Something crucial is always give effort and have discipline. Where we come from, they give us absolutely nothing. Our sport does not have support from the government or anyone. Everything we achieve is through our own efforts. I try to share that concept to my students, you have to work hard to meet your goals. To get out of where we come from, we have to work hard daily to reach the top.
Every athlete faces setbacks. Can you share a significant challenge you've overcome in your career and what lessons it taught you that could be valuable for aspiring fighters?
I won my first title against a fighter who had beaten me twice, once amateur and once professionally. The circuit in Chile is very small so it is normal to run into
the same fighter several times. At that time, they offered me the opportunity for the title of the biggest event of MMA at that time, which I accepted. It was a very tough fight and I lost the first 2 rounds. In the 3rd round I went out to fight, and in the 4th round I achieved a KO with a hook to the liver. I took the title, and from then on I haven't counted myself out in a fight because at any moment you can open a space to finish your rival. That is the great thing about this sport.
How has your team, coaches, family, and community played a role in your career? What message would you like to share to others about supporting young combat athletes?
My teams are my second family. I always have unconditional support from them in terms of sports and in general from the community. I have many people who
follow me and are always supporting me, and my family always fills me with good wishes, but they stay on the sidelines for they don't like me fighting. The
message is that we must always support athletes regardless of the sport they engage in. An athlete will always be a positive example to the community, therefore we must give them the appropriate recognition.
What advice would you give to young students or up-and-coming athletes who dream of becoming professional fighters? How can they apply the attributes essential in fight preparation and competition to their everyday lives?
Never give up and fight for your dreams. There will always be situations or people who will not believe in you or will take you out of your focus. Keep going with your goals, work hard, always remember that diamonds are formed under pressure. This sport gives you confidence, character, discipline, focus, and many positive things we carry in everyday life. Martial Arts is a gift that we can give to young people not only so that they become fighters, it will always be something enriching for their lives.
Muaiad heads back into combat next Sunday January 21st at UAE Warriors 46 in Abu Dhabi.
The fight will be available on UFC Fight Pass. We anticipate seeing you in action. We're proud to welcome you to the Buctown Fight Fam.
