Eduarda Neves Santana, referred to as Duda Cowboyzinha, a former UFC fighter, has been seen dwelling on the streets in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A video circulating on social media exhibits the 26-year-old consuming a donated meal offered by a neighborhood evangelical church group that helps the homeless.
Duda Cowboyzinha
Within the video, Duda Cowboyzinha brazenly discusses her struggles with drug habit and divulges that she resorted to prostitution to fund her substance use. The authenticity of the video was confirmed by individuals near the previous athlete, together with fellow fighter Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira, who referred to her as his “sister” in a touch upon Instagram. Santana’s nickname, “Cowboyzinha,” was impressed by Oliveira throughout their time coaching collectively.
Duda Cowboyzinha’s troubles started after she was minimize from the UFC in 2020 following a optimistic doping take a look at for Ligandrol, a prohibited anabolic agent. Though her group efficiently proved contamination in her dietary supplements and decreased her suspension from two years to 1, she was finally launched from the UFC roster. The suspension and subsequent profession setback reportedly led to melancholy, which contributed to her struggles with substance abuse. She has since undergone therapy in rehabilitation clinics however has skilled repeated relapses.
Within the emotional video, the Brazilian Duda Cowboyzinha recounts how her drug use escalated from informal marijuana smoking at events to extra extreme substances like cocaine and crack. She warns others concerning the risks of drug use and shares how monetary difficulties in pursuing her MMA profession with out sponsorship led her down a darkish path.
“I want to warn others: don’t start with drugs, because it’s a path of no return. I started with a joint, and today I prostitute myself to buy cigarettes” she admitted, “I just smoke a little skunk, I just smoke a joint, oh, a joint is natural, Brother… It starts like this: a joint, then cocaine, then crack… And then what?”
Regardless of her present circumstances, Brazil’s Duda expressed hope for restoration and a brighter future. She credit religion as a supply of energy, stating, “God took everything away from me like He did with Job, but one day He will give it all back. He is testing me like He tested Jesus in the desert.”
She concluded with a promise to show her life round and obtain a cheerful ending. Initially from Cidade de Deus, a group in Rio de Janeiro, Duda started her MMA profession with three consecutive wins in Brazil’s WOCS promotion earlier than signing with the UFC in 2019. She made her debut in opposition to Bea Malecki in Sweden however misplaced by way of submission within the second spherical. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she confronted monetary hardships and relied on authorities emergency support to make ends meet.
