It seems the MMA community has found itself yet another Brazilian fighting phenomenon. Fighting in the welterweight division, Carlos Prates will soon step inside the octagon to take on his biggest fight yet, when he fights a hungry Ian ‘Machado’ Garry. This is certainly a huge step in Prates’ career, as he has even quit his intensive smoking habit for the fight. Yet, he is gaining a huge viewership for a warm act he committed during his training for the fight.

While training for the biggest fight of his career, Prates earned massive amounts of respect from the MMA community as a video of him has surfaced online. In the video, Prates can be seen giving a haircut to a fan in his gym. But that was not the adoring part. The fan of Prates, who came looking for a shave from the hands of his favorite fighter, suffers from Esophageal Cancer.

The fan who made this request to Prates sent him a message on Instagram, where the fighter invited him to meet him. Preparing for the Kansas City fight event, Prates met up with the fan and sat him down for a haircut as he converted his gym into a salon for his admirer. The gesture just goes to show how humble and kind Prates is, even if he is a beast inside the octagon.

These special moments are the cornerstone of the UFC’s success. The loyalty, admiration, and passion the fans have for their favorite fighters come from many such moments. MMA gives fans much better access to their favorite stars compared to other sports. Let’s look at some instances where fans and fighters shook hands and shared laughs.

Moments in the UFC where the fans interacted with their favorite fighters

When fighters step inside the octagon, their only source of strength other than themselves comes from the fans surrounding the octagon. As fans cheer on for their favorite fighter and shower them with blessings, the fans, too, do not let go of any chances to make sure their favorite star acknowledges them. In one such moment, possibly among the most respected fighters in the world, Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311, stood in solidarity with a fan named Ashly McGarity who was battling cervical cancer, and donated $50 thousand to her cause as he even brought her along with him during his pre-fight weigh-in.

In an instance very similar to that of Carlos Prates, our very own ‘CHAMA’ Alex Pereira was requested by a fan who wanted Pereira to shave his head as the boy was going to lose his hair following his cancer treatment. A request that was gladly accepted and fulfilled by ‘Poatan’ brought the two division champions to tears. The video quickly went viral, as we saw an aspect of the fight game that rarely meets the eye.

Indeed, there is more to the sport than what we can see. We are all aware of the amazing fights and the loud cheers in the humongous arenas. Yet what misses the eye is nothing but the passion, blood, and sweat the fighters put in, not just to fight and win belts but to see their fans smile because they did something good. And it’s a feeling we all chase at different levels and different places. Fans already know the value of the blessing that UFC is for them, but in a great spectacle, MMA fighters show that even the stars take care of their admirers and show their love for them.