No matter what his personal or professional life has thrown at him, bouncing back while maintaining a realistic outlook on the possibilities of his career has helped the 39-year-old extend his longevity in the sport.
“I don’t want to be the guy that retired because I’m not physically capable anymore. I’m always reassessing and being realistic with myself and where I stand,” Assunção said. “First of all, physically, but also mentally. Your mentality doesn’t get old, your physicality does, and you have to equalize your mentality based on what you can physically do.”
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It’s no secret that the Brazilian has had to face countless bouts of adversity throughout his career, mostly stemming from physical setbacks like injuries sustained during training and a battle with COVID-19, and 2021 was no different.
“After 18 months away, I’m very excited to be back,” he said, laughing. “My two fights that were cancelled — one fight was due to the unfortunate and infamous COVID-19. I wasn’t hospitalized or anything but I definitely felt it. My cardio wasn’t very good, I couldn’t imagine fighting. Then, I had a car accident at the beginning of the year. I had an injury, also. So, it was a crazy 2021 (laughs), but I was able to heal up, bounce back, have a training camp and be a part of the last card of the year.”
In the 18 months since his last Octagon showing, Assunção has had to establish an equilibrium between the physical and mental sides of the sport — something he has always been working to balance, but has finally arrived at a stable point.