Northeastern Brazilian MMA Fighters Say Goodbye to Teacher, Friend Bruno Gouvea

Bruno Gouvea -- the renowned striking coach of such elite fighters as Patricky and Patricio Freire, Jussier da Silva and Ronny Markes -- died in a car accident on Sunday, the day he turned 32 years old. While local police have yet to determine the exact circumstances, what is known is that Gouvea was riding in or in the back of a Fiat Strada in the town of Lajes, Rio Grande do Norte, when the truck’s driver, who was allegedly intoxicated and driving erratically, lost control. Gouvea was thrown from the vehicle and killed instantly.

A former kickboxer with more than 50 wins to his credit, Gouvea only recently became well known as a first-class coach after helping form Pitbull Brothers GT, or Gouvea Team. The professor’s knowledge was not just reserved for his team, however: Even in a region with fiercely competitive gyms, Gouvea was respected by all and often trained fighters from rival teams, like da Silva, Markes and Renan Barao.

Several of the athletes trained by Gouvea credited him with teaching them all they know about striking, including Bellator standout Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, who established Pitbull Brothers GT with his longtime master last November.

“He was my first coach and he raised my striking,” asserted Freire, who credits Gouvea for his spectacular April 2011 flying knee knockout of Toby Imada. “All I know in striking and the standup, I owe to him. All the aggressiveness I have is due to him; my brother, too.”

“Fighters would thank him in interviews, yet for those listening, it was just another name being thanked. It wasn’t,” said friend and student Matheus Aquino. “It was the name of a teacher, a father, a brother, a friend, a man who dedicated his life to the sport and whose confidence couldn’t be brought down by anyone.”

In addition to sharpening fighters’ kickboxing, Gouvea was also a master game-planner.

“He always killed the other guys’ strategies,” recalled Freire. “He was an excellent corner and a great friend. I have nothing bad to say about him, and I don’t believe anyone does. He was a simple guy, humble, hardworking.”

Gouvea was laid to rest Tuesday in Lajes, his hometown. His coffin was carried by several fighters, including Patricio, who had been preparing with Gouvea for an upcoming Bellator featherweight title fight. For his students, the loss of a great coach and friend at such a young age has been a hard reality to accept.

“I’m not sleeping right. I wake up every night, frightened, always remembering him,” said Patricky Freire, who noted that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had recently considered bringing Gouvea in to train fighters at Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro.

“I want to say that I’m very sad with what happened, and today more than ever, I know that everything this man did for me won't be in vain,” Patricio Freire wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “All the things he taught me not just as a fighter but as a human being will be passed on.”

Besides the Pitbull Brothers GT, Gouvea helped train many students from Kimura Nova Uniao. One such fighter, UFC middleweight Ronny Markes, remembered the trainer in a heartfelt message posted on Facebook.

“I’m speechless,” wrote Markes. “I’m still wondering several things and reflecting in silence on the real meaning of life. I’m remembering his words, his teachings and his heart. It’s very easy to pay homage, to say good things, ready-made and beautiful phrases when we have lost someone. In fact, we lost the opportunity to appreciate him, to recognize his work, his value... Thank you, Bruno. The pain of the loss is great, but the memories will last forever.”

Nova Uniao Kimura leader Jair Lourenco also offered praise for the man who was both his rival and his friend.

“Northeastern MMA will never be the same,” said Lourenco. “He was an honorable opponent, so much so that we talked almost every day. What makes me most sad is that he died when he was beginning to be recognized internationally for the work of his students.”

Sergio “Junior” Melo, a veteran from Renovacao Fight Team, remembered the trainer’s modest beginnings as a disciple of Renan Barao’s father, Netinho Pegado.

“What to say about Bruno Gouvea? To many he was a master, a teacher, a friend; to me, he was a brother,” said Melo. “I still remember when I arrived at his house to train at that very poor place, filled with holes in the floor, and now I see his athletes shining in the events. He was a brother who always encouraged me. If I were to fight Mike Tyson, he’d say, ‘Look at me! You’ll knock him out! You’ll feint a jab and put a right cross, then a left cross, and then we’ll celebrate.’”

“His hard work was paying off and he was finally getting the spotlight he deserved,” said Aquino. “Greg Jackson, Andre Pederneiras -- Bruno would have been mentioned among that list. The world needs to know who he was. The world needs to know that the greatest unknown coach in the world has passed away. But most importantly, the world needs to know that one of the greatest people to ever life has left us.”

Chris Nelson contributed to this article.