Ahead of WSOF 8, what keeps 40-year-old Jorge Patino ticking?

Although many of his fellow fighters now refer to Jorge Patino simply as “Grandpa” instead of his usual “Macaco” nickname, the 40-year-old believes tonight’s fight at World Series of Fighting 8 could be one of many still ahead for him.

Patino (31-14-1) looks for his ninth win in 10 fights when he meets Luis Palomino (21-9) in the opening bout of the NBC Sports Network-televised main card. The bout, which takes place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., marks the promotional debut for Patino, who’s fought across the globe during a productive 19-year career.

So what keeps the veteran ticking, and why does he have no plans to hang up his gloves any time soon?

“Thankfully, I don’t drink or smoke,” he told MMAjunkie. “I don’t party. I have a very healthy life. I eat, train and sleep. I have a lot of energy, so I’m always training. I still feel very young. I can fight five rounds without backing up or giving up, and I’ve won four different championship belts.”

In fact, that healthy lifestyle is what led him to tonight’s event. When Richard Patishnock was promoted to the championship headliner as an injury replacement, Palomino was left without an opponent. So WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz called Patino, who was expecting a March or April WSOF debut against Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons.

“It was great for me and for the promotion,” he said. “I’m always in shape. I’m old but always ready to fight. He said I’d be on this card because Palomino didn’t have an opponent, and my next fight would be in April. So I told him, ‘That’s fine, boss.’ The biggest promotions in the world are UFC, Bellator and World Series. So I couldn’t say no.”

Patino previously lost two fights to “Pele,” and he considers the second one (which took place way back in 1997) a questionable one. However, the two are now friendly, and Patino only agreed to fight him a third time at WSOF’s request.

It’s a philosophy that’s worked well for Patino, who’s taken on challenges big and small – domestic and abroad – while meeting everyone from Pat Miletich to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to Kazuo Misaki. It’s forced him to continually evolve his game, and he believes it’ll lead to a crowd-pleasing fight tonight.

“Palomino is very fast, is a good kicker, and likes to move forward,” he said. “He punches well and has heavy hands. I like his style because it makes for an exciting fight. It won’t be boring at all. Someone is getting either knocked out or submitted.

“That’s why we put in the work – to put on a show. I don’t want to win by points. I want to bang. [Tonight] I’m giving my best. I trained well. I know he’s tough, but I’ll be chasing after him.”

Patino earned his “Macaco” nickname (Portuguese for “monkey”) from a childhood crush, who said he reminded her of a small, strong primate. It followed him into his fighting career, which began with a string of submission victories in early vale tudo fights.

Now, though, he’s no longer “Macaco” to the countless fighters whom he’s inspired. Patino moved to the U.S. nearly six years ago and started his own team, Macaco Gold Team, that has affiliates around the world. The gyms, along with his partners at Chute Boxe, have produced countless big-show vets, including Charles Oliveira, Lucas Pimenta, Ediane Gomes, Lucas Martins, Jessica Andrade, Leandro ‘Buscape’ Silva, Thomas Almeida, Allan Nascimento and others. Patino said they’ve all inspired him to keep fighting.

“In reality, I feel blessed because my team is like a family,” he said. “They are also very focused, grounded and work hard. We treat them with affection. We try new techniques every day.

“I’m 40 years old now. I started during the vale tudo days. Everyone knows ‘Macaco,’ but this new generation just calls me ‘Grandpa.’”

For more on WSOF 8, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Luis Palomino and Jorge Patino)