A month has passed since Allan Nascimento’s untimely passing left the MMA world devastated. Early last month, the 34-year-old was found dead in his apartment, with later reports revealing that the UFC flyweight had passed away in his sleep from a heart attack. Since then, tributes have poured in from across the globe. But one particular tribute stands out amid the grief.

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Allan Nascimento and Charles Oliveira‘s longtime coach Diego Lima announced his decision to rename his combat institute—originally named after himself—after his dear-departed pupil in an effort to keep his memory alive.

“There hasn’t been a single day when I haven’t cried,” Lima admitted to the publication. “Our institute today, the Diego Lima Institute, is not going to be called the Diego Lima Institute anymore. It’s going to be called the Allan Nascimento Institute.

“As long as I live, I will honor his name. As long as I live, I will say his name because he was my student, he is my student, he is my athlete. He was one of the most loyal friends I’ve ever had in my life.”

To the Chute Boxe head coach, Allan Nascimento was more than his student. The UFC flyweight had been with Diego Lima since Nascimento was only 14 years old. It was only later that other, more well-known fighters like Charles Oliveira joined Lima’s gym in Sao Paulo.

As such, the bond between them was deeper than that of a typical fighter and his coach. With Nascimento’s passing, Lima didn’t just lose a student; he lost someone who had been part of his life for more than two decades.

“He was my business partner. A lot of people didn’t know this, but when it came to all my management affairs, he was my partner,” Lima explained. “I would always have the conversations and negotiations, but the email account was ours, so all the emails, everything, was with him. And I used to joke with him that when he retired, I would retire too. He was going to fight until he was around 40 years old. That was our plan.

“Maybe he would go a little beyond that, maybe not, but and as soon as he retired, I was going to retire too, because then he would take care of everything. Those plans ended up changing a little bit.”

While those plans have now changed, Diego Lima wishes to use the grief to help the next generation of fighters remember Allan Nascimento’s legacy.

Aspiring fighters will now train under the late UFC fighter’s name, keeping his contributions alive for the next generation. And while the gesture is heartfelt and monumental in its own right, Lima’s decision to rename the institute becomes even more meaningful when considering how far back their relationship goes.

It’s certainly an extraordinary way for a coach to honor his fighter this way. But the MMA world has seen similar gestures before.

According to Sherdog, Kill Cliff head coach Henri Hooft honored the late UFC veteran Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, who passed away in 2022, with a special “sparring” championship belt named after the former UFC title challenger.

While Lima did not explain the extent of Nascimento’s involvement in his business affairs, the revelation offers another glimpse into just how close the two had become over the years. Allan Nascimento’s role in Diego Lima’s life clearly went well beyond his time inside the gym.

And his influence was not limited to Lima either. Several fighters who crossed paths with Nascimento have since shared stories about the kind of teammate he was.

Allan Nascimento helped Ian Garry after he caught pneumonia

Amid the outpouring of tributes following Allan Nascimento’s death, Ian Garry’s wife, Layla Machado Garry, shared a heartfelt story involving the late fighter and her husband.

She shared an image of herself sitting alongside Nascimento, Ian Garry and others at Chute Boxe, explaining how ‘Puro Osso’ supported Garry when he came down with pneumonia before his fight against Vicente Luque at UFC 296.

“He prepared breakfast for the whole crew every morning during Ian’s fight camp, and when Ian contracted pneumonia, Allan stood by his side, helping him make tough decisions, hour after hour,” Layla wrote on Instagram. “Allan listened keenly whenever someone spoke.

“He was always present and an exemplary teammate. He has set a standard in kickboxing. A powerful and beautiful example of fellowship.”

Layla’s account paints a picture of Nascimento that goes beyond his accomplishments as a fighter. He was someone who looked after the people around him, whether that meant preparing meals for his teammates or standing beside Garry during one of the most difficult moments of his fight camp.

That makes Diego Lima’s decision to rename his institute after Nascimento even more fitting. The late Brazilian spent two decades helping build the people and community around him, and now his name will remain attached to the place where future fighters begin their own journeys.

Nascimento may be gone, but through Lima, his teammates, and the fighters he helped along the way, his legacy will continue to live on.