Luis Francischinelli stands out as potentially the tallest welterweight in current MMA. His impressive size, nearly matching UFC heavyweight Alexander Volkov, combined with his skills, helped him earn a life-changing opportunity in the sport.
Francischinelli aims for a 5-0 professional record this Friday against Angelo Rivera Jr. at LFA 208 in Santa Cruz, California. Before transitioning to MMA, he was a kickboxer trying to build his career in the Brazilian circuit, but progress was slow, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At age 25, Francischinelli and his wife made a significant decision: selling their car and motorcycle to fund a flight to the United States. He reached out randomly to eight people on Instagram for advice about living in America, and the first person to reply urged him to make the move without delay.
Just 45 days later, Francischinelli arrived in California and sought out Black House gym. Funds were tight, but he could afford training and a place to stay. He shared his living space with two others, one of whom he described as “a bipolar man that became my friend and even borrowed me money to buy a car.”
“It was hard,” Francischinelli commented, “But God put good people around me.”
Among those who helped was Jorge Guimarães, a manager known for working with UFC stars like Alex Pereira and Alexandre Pantoja, as well as legends such as Anderson Silva. His team included Alexander Volkov, a top UFC heavyweight preparing for a fight. Volkov needed sparring partners, and the tall Brazilian fighter was chosen.
“But he was a heavyweight and I weighed like 180 pounds,” Francischinelli recalled. “I’m tall, but that’s all. They told me, ‘Go there and spar with him.’ I thought, ‘My God! But okay, sure, I’ll go.’ I sparred three tough rounds with Volkov. People watching were surprised, saying, ‘What? Who’s this guy?’ [Guimarães], known as ‘Joinha,’ noticed me and realized, ‘Oh, we got something here.’”
Guimarães then introduced Francischinelli to Ed Soares, his business partner and the head of LFA. Soares offered him a contract with the promotion, which helped him secure a visa to begin his fighting career in the United States.
“They really did me a favor, because they didn’t fully know who I was yet,” Francischinelli stated. “They had seen me train, but lots of people come through there every day.”
After training at Black House for over a year, Francischinelli moved to CMMA to improve his jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills, preparing for his MMA debut. One Thursday, he received a call offering a middleweight fight with only 48 hours` notice because the scheduled opponent was injured. He immediately accepted, traveled to Commerce, California, made weight, and secured a knockout victory over Emmanueli Adzoh in just 85 seconds.
In the following months, despite some cancelled bouts, Francischinelli traveled to New York and earned another first-round knockout win against Ken Burrs. He also finished Greg Sun and Victor Kuiks in the first round. With a perfect record, he believes he is now very close to reaching the UFC.
“I nearly got onto The Ultimate Fighter in May but wasn’t chosen, perhaps because I only had four fights,” Francischinelli mentioned. “But now they know me. They`re watching. And I think this next fight could be the one that gets me into the UFC.”
“Every day I wake up thinking this is the year I`ll reach the UFC,” he stated confidently. “I know it will happen. I feel I have immense potential, especially with my extensive striking background. I still need to show more in areas like the ground game, but my wrestling and jiu-jitsu are constantly improving. I have what it takes to perform and become a champion in the UFC. I’m certain it will happen, and I’ll be there this year.”
