Brazilian funk artist MC Livinho, who always had a passion for fighting, made a name for himself in the music industry starting in 2008. With the rise of influencer boxing globally, he discovered a new way to pursue his roots and deliver compelling performances in the ring.
Holding a 2-0 boxing record with consecutive knockout wins against Brazilian personalities Dynho Alves and Felipe Alves, MC Livinho is set to step into the ring again on Saturday. He will face comedian-turned-boxer Lucas Veloso at Fight Music Show 6, Brazil’s leading influencer promotion, on May 17 in Sao Paulo.
MC Livinho (real name Oliver Decesary Santos) shared in an interview after a training session at the Fighting Nerds gym in Sao Paulo that his childhood was quite challenging and marked by aggression. He credited divine blessings and financial success through his funk career, built over many years of hard work, for opening up opportunities.
While MC Livinho also pursued football (soccer), another sport he loved, boxing ultimately became his true path in sports. He was naturally gifted as a child, even earning a kickboxing scholarship, but left after just two months. Years later, having achieved fame as a “funkeiro” with over 13 million Instagram followers, MC Livinho decided to return to the ring.
“My first interaction with boxing was in 2019, and from that moment, I realized it allowed me to release all my anger, trauma, and daily burdens,” MC Livinho explained. “Boxing was my savior. It brought me discipline and stability. I was challenged as one of the first funk artists to train boxing, specifically by Dynho Alves for FMS. That challenge spurred me to train for influencer competitions, and thankfully, I’m now heading for my third fight after two knockout victories.”
He added, “Initially, I treated it as a hobby because of my love for boxing. But once I was challenged, fear vanished. I`ve faced so many adversities and street fights in life; fear isn`t an issue. It was still very new to me, but I accepted the invitation and kept going.”
MC Livinho secured a knockdown finish against Dynho Alves in 2023 and notably knocked Felipe Alves out of the ring in another bout.
Training under coach Erick Terere at Fighting Nerds, MC Livinho intends to continue boxing as long as he finds joy in it. Training alongside prominent UFC fighters like Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, Mauricio Ruffy, and Carlos Prates at the gym provides significant inspiration for his journey.
“I arrived here when Caio was preparing for the UFC, and I saw Ruffy, Jean, Prates,” MC Livinho recalled. “I witnessed their beginnings and rise to prominence. They are now on an upward trajectory, and there are many more talents here yet to shine, such as Jair Farias, Romulo Oliveira, Icaro Brito, Felipe Douglas, and others. They are monsters ready for action and will not disappoint when called upon.”
While MC Livinho has no plans to transition from boxing to MMA, he does have a specific opponent in mind for a dream boxing match: Whindersson Nunes.
Whindersson Nunes, a well-known Brazilian comedian, has his own boxing history, including an amateur win in 2019, an exhibition loss to former world champion Acelino Freitas three years later, and a 1-3 record in subsequent exhibitions globally. Nunes recently lost a decision to Neeraj Goyat on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event in November.
“I would genuinely love to fight Whindersson Nunes, but he doesn`t seem very interested,” MC Livinho stated. “I believe he has different plans now. However, it would be a significant fight that would greatly benefit the influencer boxing movement. He has long demonstrated his passion for boxing, just like me.”
