Reinaldo Ekson: I’m the Same in the Cage, Whether It’s for $1 or $1 Million

Ahead of his clash with Mike Barnett at PFL Challenger Series 4, Professional Fighters League featherweight hopeful Reinaldo Ekson spoke to Sherdog about the long and winding road that took him from kicking banana trees in his parents’ backyard, all the way to eyeing a $1 million prize — and the ways in which the journey has not changed him at all.

Full name?

Reinaldo Ekson dos Santos Oliveira.

Nickname?

I don’t really have a nickname. People used to call me “Guerreiro” [warrior in Portuguese]. But I’m better known as Reinaldo “Ekson,” since my middle name is so distinct.

Where were you born, and where do you live today?

I’m from Itaja, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Today I live in the…