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Guilherme Viana has long dealt with lower back issues. | đź“·: PFL MMA
Injuries kept Guilherme Viana out of mixed martial arts competition for almost eight years, but after back-to-back victories on the regional scene, his sights are set on his Professional Fighters League debut.
The 39-year-old Brazilian will confront the unbeaten Rasul Magomedov in a PFL 2025 World Tournament 10 light heavyweight prelim on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. It has been an arduous journey for Viana, whose body kept him out of action for more than 2,700 days following a July 22, 2016 technical knockout loss to Philipe Lins under the Bellator MMA banner.
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“I had been fighting with a lower-back injury since the start of my professional career,” he told Sherdog.com. “In my last few camps [in 2016], I could barely train. I could never manage performances to my satisfaction. I always felt I should have done more. Especially when I faced Philipe, my hips and lower back hurt so badly, I could barely turn my body. It was always a problem. That’s why I put things on hold. It felt like forever. I was in too much pain. There was no pleasure in training.”
Time away was time well spent.
“That hiatus was good,” Viana added. “It was the best thing I could have done. I kept looking for the right doctor, researching my problem and undergoing different tests. Eventually, we figured out the problem was my hips. I’m thankful that I found the right doctor who was able to cure me.”
Viana returned in 2024 and laid claim to the vacant Combat Zone heavyweight championship in his most recent outing—a 39-second technical knockout of Hassan Graham on Nov. 9. All the struggles he endured have made the success that much sweeter.
“Right now, I’m extremely thankful to be back in action,” Viana said. “My training has involved me, my brother and my students. My students are my inspiration. They’re the ones who encouraged me to get back to fighting.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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