After 7-year UFC run, retired Rafael Natal now taking on management role

When Rafael Natal announced his retirement as an MMA fighter, he said he’d remain involved with the sport in some capacity.

That capacity, it turns out, is management. After his own seven-year stint in the UFC, the former King of Combat champion has been announced as the president of Dominance MMA in Brazil, and the 35-year-old will now help his fellow Brazilian fighters build their own careers.

Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz posted the news on Instagram, which “Sapo” re-posted, saying it “will be a way to give Brazilian fighters the support that they really deserve” (via Instagram):

I want to make a special announcement. Welcome former UFC middleweight @rafaelsaponatal he is now the president of Dominance MMA Brazil. He will run the Brazil division of management to help many Brazilian fighters. I believe Brazil has some of the best talent in the world and now this will give more opportunity to the fighters in the @ufc @arielhelwani @damonmartin @dominancemma_

A post shared by Ali ——> Team Renzo Gracie (@aliabdelaziz000) on Jan 9, 2018 at 5:58pm PST

Abdelaziz said he believes that Brazil holds “some of the best talent in the world” and that Natal, a native of Minas Gerais who lived in New York City for the better part of a decade, has a lot to contribute to his compatriots.

“He’s a great guy,” Abdelaziz told MMAjunkie. “He gave me the opportunity. And he’s very smart. He moved back to Brazil full time, and I want to give him an opportunity back. He speaks English. I want him to show a lot of Brazilian fighters about taxes, how to manage their money. He lived in America for eight years. He understands the system. I think it’s a great idea.”

Natal (21-9-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) retired after 17 fights under the UFC banner. The Brazilian grappling ace announced he was hanging up his MMA gloves in October, on the heels of a three-fight skid. Despite his love for the sport, Natal said, the 15 years of dedication took a toll on him and, amid pleas from his loved ones, he thought it was time to retire.

“It was a long journey,” Natal said. “I love MMA. I love training, cutting weight. But I’ve had some surgeries on my retina, on my eye. I’ve focused on that 100 percent of my life, during these 15 years. It’s time to step back. My mom’s asked this from me for a long time. It was a hard decision, but it’s what we have. I think it was a smart one.”

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