Raphael Assuncao stepped away from the gym for three months after losing to Marlon Moraes in February. He told his family not to ask him about fighting, because he wanted to clear his mind before stepping in the Octagon again.
It doesn’t mean Assuncao never thought about mixed martial arts, but he needed some time after watching a title shot slip through his fingers after having his winning streak snapped in Fortaleza, Brazil.
He was out of the cage for a while, but he didn’t slow down. In fact, it was quite the opposite.