Edson Conterrâneo, the MMA bricklayer

By Eduardo Ferreira

Photo M-1 courtesy

At 10 years old, the Pernambuco native Edson “Conterrâneo”Franca moved to São Paulo with any perspective of what he’d to survive and worked in any kind of job, most of them as a bricklayer. After doing some boxing training, he met Miguel Repanas and changed his focus to MMA.

“I came from the north tem years ago, started slowly”, remembers Conterrâneo. “The sport is very important is the human being life, it takes anyone from the bad life. I started with boxing, then Miguel called me to train and I’m here for eight years, man. The important is to have a clean head and knows what you want. I fight for hobby and, if God wants to, these fights will take me far”.

Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Franca is humble even in his goals. “One day Miguel came back to the gym with a medal from the Worlds Master and Senior, and I asked: ‘master, will I ever win one  of these?’. He said I would, and I won it at Rio de Janeiro. I came back crying at the gym, it was great. Today, I’m at the brown belt, but I still have a lot to learn”.

In one week, Edson will have two tough challenges ahead in São Paulo. At September 18^th, he’ll face Cláudio Godoy at First Class Fight 3, and faces César “Monstro” at Eagle Fight, in Sept. 26^th, but Francaguarantees the worst already passed.

“I know how much I suffered when I was a child and when I enter the ring I feel connected to the society. The toughest part was to win as a person, as a human being, as a worker. At the fights, it’s just me against the guy… In life, I have to face a crown, I’m from Pernambuco, so I suffer a lot of prejudgment, but I try to overcome it everyday and keep moving on”, finished the athlete.