Raush Manfio, a champion in MMA, almost retired to be a coach and a cleaner before he entered the PFL 2021 season.
Manfio won the $1million cash prize after he rolled the dice one more time.
Raush Manfio won PFL 2021's lightweight season
The Brazilian won four fights in the spin to win the lightweight belt and a life-changing cheque.
Manfio could have had it so much different - he was at one time ready to quit his fight career.
He said to MMA Junkie, "I called Brian Butler, my manager and I was quitting my job."
"I was trying to stop fighting for myself. I was taking private classes with students.
"I did really well and had another job cleaning offices at nights.
"I believed God didn't want me to do this because I had nine fights cancelled and three or four signed. The other fights were replaced by their injured fighters.
"But when my opponents saw me, they didn't want me to fight them."
"So it was three years of opposition that didn't want me to fight them and I was ready for the end."
Manfio, 30 years old, entered the PFL season, which is a knockout format, after Olivier Aubin Mercier (33), was injured.
He took it all in, and the rest is history.
Manfio stated: "As an evangelical Christian, I always ask God what He wants from me."
"And because I was experiencing so many difficulties, I believed God wouldn't allow this to happen to me." I must pay my bills and provide for my family.
"After I called my manager, he asked for one more month and within that month, he got him in the PFL. The Canadian Olivier Aubin Mercier was hurt and they needed to replace him.
"My manager was at the right time and place to speak to Ray Sefo (PFL president for fighter operations), because I was already thinking that I couldn't do it anymore.
Ray told him that I needed it and that I was good. However, no one wanted to fight me for the small leagues.
"So he gave it to me and now you know all the details. "I quit and now I see where I am."
The PFL, MMA's only league format is composed of regular season and playoffs.
Eight weight classes of fighters are allowed to participate in the regular season, where they will compete for the right to move on to the play-offs.
More Information on the US Sun
This consists of a quarter-final round and a semi-final round in three rounds. The winner advances to the championship final.
Manfio defeated Clay Collard, Anthony Pettis and Loik Radzhabov last year to win the 2021 PFL light season.
He will attempt the double again this year and will kick off his season tomorrow night in Texas by taking on South African Don Madge.
