MMA
ONE Championship Strawweight Maira Mazar Grateful For New Life In Singapore
Maira Mazar once called Brazil home, but in 2019, she risked everything to try out for the Evolve MMA fight team. After being accepted, she suddenly found herself living on the other side of the world.
It was not an easy decision, as Mazar uprooted herself from São José dos Campos and moved to Asia, where she began training at Evolve full time while pursuing her dream of becoming a ONE World Champion.
Since then, she hasn’t just cracked the ONE Championship roster and become the #5-ranked strawweight mixed martial artist – she’s also benefited from a personal situation that’s much easier to manage.
“Here in Singapore, I have nothing to complain about. My life here is really good, and I’m so grateful,” Mazar said.
That optimism comes after Mazar spent nearly a lifetime overcoming the challenges of life in Brazil. When she was competing as a professional in her home country, she often did so without being rewarded for her sacrifices.
“I loved to fight, but it was really hard because sometimes I fought for free. They never paid me,“ she says. "I fought only because I loved it, not because I was making money.”
Mazar also relishes in the safety that Singapore provides. The city-state is constantly on the top of lists when it comes to the world’s least dangerous places to live.
“I can walk with my cell phone in my hand and feel safe. I can walk late at night on the street and feel safe,” she adds.
In the future, Mazar hopes to move her mother and father from Brazil to Singapore so they can experience the place their daughter has come to love.
“Two years ago, I couldn’t imagine that I would be here in Singapore. I really believe God has a good plan for me,” Mazar said.
“One day, I would like to bring my family to live here in Singapore. I would like to give them the opportunity to live in a safe place and feel what I feel here.”
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