Giacomo Lemos: A Brazilian ‘Viking’ Storms PFL

Even for a professional fighter, Giacomo Lemos cuts a distinctive figure: The powerfully built Brazilian stands 6-foot-3, with a beard frequently dyed blond or red in reference to his “Viking” handle. As he prepares for his scheduled bout with Brett Martin at PFL Challenger Series 6 this week, with a Professional Fighters League regular season roster spot in the balance, the undefeated 32-year-old spoke to Sherdog about his nickname, his lifelong martial arts journey and the failed drug test that led to his near-miss with the Ultimate Fighting Championship a few years ago.

“My nickname used to be ‘Asgardiano’ [Asgardian in Portuguese],” Lemos said. “After I knocked out a boxer, the Esporte Interativo [Interactive Sport] commentator said I had a hammer in my hands, like Thor. But since a lot of folks don’t know what an Asgardian is, the nickname got switched to Viking. It made it easier for fans to remember me. I have a beard and light-colored eyes. It’s a Nordic look. The nickname goes with that.”

Lemos first exposure to martial arts was early, to say the least. “I became the Brazilian judo champion while still in my mother’s belly,” he joked. “She was two months pregnant with me, and became the champion. I’ve been grappling since I was very little. I started competing as a child. I’m a judo black belt. After judo, I added jiu-jitsu. Later, I started training muay Thai under master Rangel Farias. The way I got started in MMA was that I’d use muay Thai to destress from my daily job as a systems analyst. All of a sudden, I was offered and accepted a heavyweight bout. I was booked against a boxer. I’d only been striking for about six months. I won by knockout. Up until my fourth bout, I was still a systems analyst – I have an IT degree. I still work in that industry, but it’s no longer 100% my focus. I’ve always had to hold a job while fighting. The only support I’ve had in my fight career was from family members.

Through seven career fights, Lemos is not only undefeated, but all of his fights have ended within the distance. Nonetheless, he understands the learning experience that can come with a loss, as his record in other combat sports is not spotless.

“It’s true,” he said. “None of my MMA fights have gone to the judges. All of them were wins by either submission or KO. I did, however, have a loss in professional boxing. I lost an eight-round decision. As a grappler, I decided to box to put myself in a different situation. I ended up losing to someone with more experience. I learned a useful lesson, which was to be better prepared in the future.”

Lemos’ career seemed to be on an upward trajectory in 2019, when a pair of wins in South Korean promotion Angel’s Fighting Championship got him onto the radar of major organizations. He also picked up valuable experience, passing through hardship as well as getting his first real taste of MMA fan adulation.

“My most important MMA bouts were the two in Seoul, South Korea,” he said. “Even travel was a struggle. I had to sleep in the airplane’s bathroom since I couldn’t fit into the coach seats. I landed, went to weigh-ins, and on the next day I fought jetlagged. I didn’t have time to adapt. It was an extreme situation. The temperature was –10 C [14 F]. Some promotions rig everything to make sure the local fighter wins. I beat both fighters. I took the belt from Sang Soo Lee. He’s a good fighter, who’s faced Aleksander Emelianenko in the past. He’s tough. He opened a 17 cm [7 in] cut on my head during the first round. Despite the literal bloodbath, I was able to continue and get the stoppage. I came back to Seoul to defend my title. I was treated as an idol by the fans. I had a great win over Jun Soo Lim. He’s a solid striker, who’s had great opponents like Jerome LeBanner. I knew he was dangerous. I beat him by KO. It was that win that raised my profile and got the UFC’s attention.”

On the back of those dominant performances in Seoul, the UFC signed Lemos to face Tanner Boser at UFC 240 in July 2019. Everything appeared to be going well for the “Viking,” right up until USADA came calling. The resulting suspension derailed everything, and while Lemos is focused on the future, he is clearly still stung by the way the test was handled, as well as the UFC’s response.

“The UFC called me after my second fight in Asia. I had suffered a tear in my patellar [knee] tendon. I was treated for that. It required an injection. From that, I suffered some contamination. A month after fighting in Asia, the UFC put me in the USADA anti-doping test pool. The substance was still in my blood stream. USADA knew that I needed that shot to be able to bend my knee, and be able to fly home in an economy seat. Regardless, I was suspended for two years. I felt that was a great injustice, especially since the UFC didn’t put me back on their heavyweight roster. None of my wins have gone to the judges. I feel I’m the kind of fighter the public wants to see. I know I sell well. A lot of people want to see me fight. I think it was more than UFC’s loss than mine. It was an unfair decision. They were told in advance that I could be contaminated. I feel I was unjustly treated by the UFC and USADA. Various other fighters who’ve failed such tests have been suspended for a year or sometimes less. Maybe the fact that I’m not well off enough to have a good lawyer to contest these allegations caused me to be harshly judged. Maybe after I fight in the PFL, they’ll want me. But the loss is theirs. I’m already in a great organization. I stand out from the other heavyweights.

Two and a half years later, Lemos is ready to remind the world why the premier promotion in the sport had signed him in the first place. It begins this week in PFL, where several of his teammates have experienced success.

“PFL is an excellent organization,” he said. “I’ve wanted to join them in the past. They have great fights and great fighters. My debut will be challenging, against a wrestler – Brett Martin [Big Dog]. I believe it will be a tough fight. Right now, I’m taking things one fight at a time. I’m not thinking about the $1 million dollar prize. Brett is tough. He’s 10-1. He has my full attention.

“He’s an aggressive wrestler,” Lemos added. “He’ll push you against the cage and try to take you down. I hope he’ll try to put my back to the mat. I’m a judo black belt since I was in my mother’s womb. He’ll have a difficult time since I have a very good base. In my last fight, I was pushed against the fence for a while. I hadn’t fought in a very long time. But this time, it will be different. I hope he wastes energy and tires himself out trying to wrestle me. The least likely thing to happen would be for me to get tired. I’m used to training with wrestlers. I’m ready for any position – against the cage or on the mat. He’ll be facing a brick wall. I can’t predict how the fight will play out, other than to say that I will remain undefeated.

For this fight, Lemos has been working with high-level coaches and training partners, including PFL standout Joao Zeferino and one of the greatest heavyweight grapplers of all time, former UFC champ Fabricio Werdum.

“I train with Fabricio Werdum, Joao Zeferino and Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu,” he said. “I feel inspired by Zeferino’s work ethic. Zeferino is the man. He’s monster – especially when it comes to grappling. He was my jiu-jitsu teacher for a long time. He cornered me when I last fought. He’s a huge help. I’m also working with coach Diego Andriello, who trains Demian Maia and Mauricio Rua [Shogun]. My striking coaches are Rangel Farias [muay Thai] and Jonathaan Oliveira [boxing]. We’re ready for whatever may happen. I work hard with three or four heavyweights, in a very high level training facility, where we also work with excellent wrestlers.”

Understandably for a man whose career was just put on hold for two years, Lemos is reticent to make bold or sweeping predictions for this week’s appearance, choosing instead to focus on the journey. “I’m not thinking beyond this fight in front of me. This fight decides if I get a contract. All eyes will be on me. I’ve fought in Asia, but now I’ll be under the bright American spotlights. I know my opponent won’t be easy. This will be another chance to entertain my fans. I want to deliver for them. This will be a new Viking era.”