Brazilian Boxing Prospect Oliveira Back In Ring April 30 In Miami

2009 Brazilian Athlete of the Year, unbeaten middleweight prospect “Chairman of the Board” Michael Oliveira, returns to the ring April 30 to fight for the first time this year in a six-round bout against 28-fight veteran Jessie Davis at Miccosukee Resort in Miami.

Oliveira (11-0, 8 KOs), who only turns 20 next Monday, is the heir apparent to retired Brazilian boxing star Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Michael hasn’t fought since December but he has been working out at Normandy Gym in North Miami.

“I’ve been training very, very hard,” he said. “I’ve had amazing sparring, too. We’ve been training twice a day for 1 ½ months. I’m ready for whoever they put in the ring with me. The time is right for me to fight again. You can’t rush or things won’t come out good.”

Now living and fighting out of Miami, the charismatic boxer is unique among contemporary fighters having had only two amateur matches, coupled with being a student at Miami Dade Community College, and coming from an affluent family.

Oliveira has a homecoming fight tentatively scheduled August 7 in Sao Paulo, where he was born, but first he has to get past Davis. “I use the August 7th fight as motivation for this fight,” Oliveira explained.

“I know that I can’t lose April 30th for the August 7th fight to happen in Brazil. I’ve dreamed of fighting back home. I want to show everybody in Brazil that, every time I step in the ring, I represent our country.”