UFC Fight Night 37's Igor Araujo began MMA journey with Alistair Overeem

UFC welterweight Igor Araujo practiced taekwondo as a kid, but it was soccer that consumed his life until he was 19.

During the Brazilian’s teenage years, jiu-jitsu also caught his interest, but, as he recently told MMAjunkie, he didn’t have money to purchase a gi.

At 15 years old, Araujo’s father passed away, and he was the man of the house, so every decision he made affected his family.

When he finally earned enough to buy the proper equipment, however, the call of the soccer field faded. His martial arts’ practice began to blossom, and he moved from his native Brasilia to Belo Horizonte, where he supported his jiu-jitsu practice by working as a cashier at a bank.

He earned a black belt while living in the city, which made him a commodity to MMA fighters. And it was around then that he got a call from a very big name in the sport.

“I linked up with Alistair Overeem, who was in PRIDE getting ready to face (Mauricio) ‘Shogun’ Rua,” said Araujo (24-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who tonight at UFC Fight Night 37 meets Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed preliminary card at London’s O2 Arena. “I moved to Holland and live and train with him.”

Although Rua knocked out Overeem, the move served as a starting point for Araujo’s MMA career. He went to Switzerland, where he opened up a jiu-jitsu school. In Europe, he was just as big a commodity, though his value wasn’t high enough to keep him from struggling.

“When I arrived in Holland, a lot of what was promised to me didn’t happen,” he said. “I didn’t have a home or any students. I ended up working as a bouncer and moving around a lot. Then once people realized there was a black belt in town, I started getting fight offers and I accepted them because I needed the money. I even took a fight on one day’s notice.

“Around 2006 I become more adapted to my new environment, and I met my eventual wife. After that, I became truly dedicated to all facets of the sport of MMA. Things changed for the better after that.”

Over the next five years, Araujo fought 25 times and won all but five bouts, which won him notice from the UFC. He began training in Albuquerque, N.M., at the famed Jackson-Winkeljohn’s MMA camp and was a late addition to “The Ultimate Fighter 16.” But his career derailed after early success.

“It was hard for me because I missed my wife and kids a lot,” Araujo said. “I beat a very tough opponent, Cortez Coleman, to get into the ‘TUF’ house. But I suffered head injuries, concussions, in the process. I also didn’t have very good weight cuts. Maybe it was my nutrition.

“Even after I left the ‘TUF’ house, I was still depressed for a long time. My last fight in the house was a decision loss against the eventual champion, Colton Smith. Maybe if I was younger, it would have been different, but I was already 31 with a family at home. It took me 6 months to even don a gi again after that.”

“During the show, on various occasions I’d get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night feeling sick, and then I’d fall back into bed. I didn’t want to tell anyone. My roommates knew, but I asked them not to tell so I wouldn’t get kicked out. Before I went home, I asked the doctor for an MRI, and he told me I should have had a six-week suspension after the first fight.”

Araujo thought his time with the UFC was over when he fell short to Smith, and he stopped training, living life as a family man in his adopted home of Switzerland. He was convinced to get back in the cage for a rematch with the man he defeated in the reality show’s opening round, and he won a five-round decision. As it turned out, he hadn’t lost his passion for the sport.

“That victory really motivated me to come back to my MMA career,” he said. “Then one day, my manager woke me up with a phone call in the morning. I had gotten back into training the week before. He asked if I wanted to sleep or fight in the UFC. I started screaming, crying. I woke up my wife. She started crying too. It was very emotional.

“I went through a lot of difficult times to get to this point. I have vowed when I left my home years ago to become a black belt and join the UFC. Now it’s all coming true.”

Araujo made his professional debut at UFC Fight Night 29 and notched a decision WIN over Iledemar Alcantara, who recently impressed fans at UFC Fight Night 36 with a split call over Albert Tumenov.

Now slated to fight Mitchell, Araujo is already familiar with the challenge ahead.

“I was actually supposed to face him in a local promotion a couple of years ago,” he said of the British welterweight. “His game is similar to mine. He’s also a ground guy. He has good standup. His standup is better than mine, actually.

“I would never underestimate an opponent. He’s a tough opponent, and he’s fighting at home. Let’s see how it goes. I saw some interviews in which he said he trained in Thailand, so maybe he’ll want to stay on the feet. I’ll be ready to be victorious, no matter where the fight goes. I think it will be a great fight.”

Araujo returned to Albuquerque to train for the bout and then flew back to Europe early to acclimate, so he is confident that he’s gotten the benefit of training at elevation while avoiding the shock of fighting in a new time zone.

But then again, Araujo is used to being on the move. While he might have found stability later in life, he’s still in motion has his fight career progresses.

Fighting in London might make him the heel in the crowd, but he’s used to being the out-of-towner.

“Once you’re in the cage, there are no flags, no fans,” Araujo said. “None of that matters come fight time. This isn’t soccer.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 37, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.