Don’t Call It A Comeback: Saulo Cavalari Looking To End His Kickboxing Hiatus With A Dominant GLORY Win

By Fight Sports Jun 15, 2020

His last kickboxing bout in 2017, former GLORY Light Heavyweight Champion Saulo Cavalari decided to test out other forms of combat sports. Now, at 31, he will look to have new goals in mind, while continuing his winning ways.

Cavalari spoke to Combat Press about making his return to kickboxing. With a 60-5 record under his belt before 2017, the time off from the sport has helped him heal. It has also helped Cavalari in the sense that he believes he can give the sport another go for a few more years.

“I have a contract with GLORY for two years and five fights,” Cavalari stated. “I went through two injuries in that time frame. I fractured my hand in a sparring session for a GLORY fight in China. I spent some time away and recovered. When I was released to fight, my 114 [previous] kickboxing fights had caused me some injuries, and I was advised by my team’s chief doctor Faruk to treat me so that I could get back well and be able to fight for another 10 years.

“I had a painful one and a half years treatment of physiotherapy and bodybuilding. Thank God, Dr. Faruk, and my coach, Felipe Pastorini, helped me recover. I’m 100 percent ready to face my opponents and show that I am the best. [As I prepared to] return, the [COVID-19] epidemic started, and I am waiting for everything to be well and show good results in my return.”

The Brazilian won the GLORY Light Heavyweight Title in 2015 at a GLORY and Bellator co-promoted event, Dynamite 1. He ended up losing the belt a few months later and never won it back. Cavalari ended up telling MMA Fighting that he was interested in competing in a dual contract while waiting for an MMA fight. Competing in the sport was a dream for him but due to additions to his family, he paused that part of his life.

Cavalari only fought in one MMA fight, a loss to Pavel Doroftei while with Phoenix Fighting Championship in 2017. Working in seminars and teaching the next generation of kickboxers, Cavalari bided his time while being a dad. When the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic changes, he will be ready to start where he began.

“The world is still waiting for this epidemic to go away and a return to normal life,” Cavalari went on to say. “I am anxious to fight, because I miss the ring, the adrenaline, the smell of blood, to see my opponent scared, and to raise a trophy after the fight. If all goes well, I will be on top of the ring and doing the most important thing that I do well — knocking people out and showing my fans that I am the best kickboxer on the planet.”

Besides GLORY, there are several other places Cavalari can go compete for. There’s K-1 and Bellator’s kickboxing division. One place on his mind, which has to do with convenience, is ONE Championship.

“Yes, ONE is a really big promotion that is growing every day with kickboxing and MMA,” Cavalari said. “I am an athlete of GLORY, but I want to return to fight in Asia. I am in love with the people I fought in K1, and I think it would be interesting to work in Asia. All in good time.”