Former trash collector Rafael Xavier chasing PFL gold after career setback

Rafael Xavier GETS IT DONE IMMEDIATELY! 27 SECONDS INTO ROUND 1.#PFLWorldTournament LIVE NOW 🇺🇸 ESPN+ 🌍 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/1f7wLo3NKB — PFL (@PFLMMA) June 28, 2025 Rafael Xavier’s star shone bright after a 27-second TKO over Karl Albrektsson last year. But an injury, followed by a disappointing decision loss have him back at square one. “I’m happy with my career, even though an athlete’s life isn’t without its problems,” he told Sherdog.com in his native Portuguese. “After I beat Albrektsson, my then-manager told me I was already rebooked. I injured my hand in that win and headed straight to the doctor. After an MRI confirmed a hairline fracture, I informed my manager. I don’t know if the PFL learned about the injury. My doctor suggested that if I stopped all impact, the cracked bone might heal. If not, I may have needed surgery. I kept doing physical therapy. I got paired up against Sullivan Cauley. I accepted that bout around December, and we were supposed to fight around February. He needed more time. Then I got moved to the May card against Rasul Magomedov. I just kept training the whole time.” 'My mind just wasn't focused': Rafael Xavier gets brutally honest about his last loss He reflected on what went wrong last time around. “Losses are learning experiences. I was doing well against Rasul after an excellent camp at Porrada Training Center. But maybe anxiety was a factor. I don’t take anything away from my opponent, but being far away from family for such a long time during training camp is tough. It’s hard to be a father and be away from one’s small children. I enjoy being a father and I very much missed home during training. I trained for three months straight, to the point of exhaustion, and then there was a postponement and possible opponent change. I was missing my family. My son kept asking when I’d be back. My daughter had just been born, but I could only see her via cell phone. As someone who didn’t have a father around as a child, I want to make up for it. Due to the fight postponement, I was idle for some time. I think that made a difference. Rasul has a more grapple-heavy style. I didn’t feel he was unusually strong. I could have gotten up from his takedowns, but my mind just wasn’t focused. I asked for that fight but at the same time I wanted to be back home. It’s a price we pay to provide for our families.” “Kratos” has a daunting challenge ahead of him. He’s booked against 11-time Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Tyson Pedro at PFL Washington D.C. on July 25. A welterweight title fight headlines PFL Washington DC: Tune on Saturday, July 25 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Pedro holds significant wins over the likes of Paul Craig and Khalil Rountree. But Xavier prefers not to overanalyze things. “I don’t know him very well. I know he’s a UFC vet. But I haven’t watched all his videos. It’s best to figure things out during our fight than to be expecting him to repeat things we’ve seen before. I know he’s mostly a striker, but what if he decides to grapple? I have to be ready for anything, so he doesn’t catch me. My previous opponent didn’t want to fight me. I had to chase him. When I did that, he took me down. But if I had been too afraid of being taken down, there would be no fight. I took the risk. My training partners always talk about my heavy hands. Most fighters try not to strike against me, as they know that if I connect, it’s bye-bye.” Despite loving his native country, Xavier has set roots in Germany. But that is also not without its challenges. “Brazil is full of talented people but the resources don’t exist. By comparison, Germany has a ton of resources but the same fire isn’t there. Maybe because life isn’t as tough; people pursue other passions. People in Germany can usually fall back on their college education or business connections. In Brazil, you either fight or you pick up trash. I used to pick up trash before I went to work at a tire shop. Trash work is especially tough in places where there are a lot of hills. I have a lot of respect for people who do that work. People in Brazil lack in options. They may have talent as an athlete, but they end up giving up on their dreams and looking for a regular job to be able to pay the rent. In Europe, families tend to have a solid financial foundation.” To prepare for Pedro, Xavier returned to the Porrada Training Center in Las Vegas. “There, I have great training partners like Johnny Walker, Billy Elekana, Bruno Cappelozza, Damian Pinas and Alex Volkov. There are a lot of bigger guys with great technique. Ronny Markes and Marcelo Nunes are our coaches as well as training partners. Besides the physical, I also work on my mental side.” Hopes are very high now. “I plan to win this fight and make money for my family, especially my wife. I’d like to work my way up to PFL champion, now that they have a ranking system, instead of only tournaments. I’m very motivated to get another win. This time around, I’m training with my family nearby. It’s going to be great!”