Eduarda Neves Santana, often known 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 overtly discusses her struggles with drug dependancy and divulges that she resorted to prostitution to fund her substance use. The authenticity of the video was confirmed by folks 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 lower from the UFC in 2020 following a constructive doping check for Ligandrol, a prohibited anabolic agent. Though her staff efficiently proved contamination in her dietary supplements and diminished her suspension from two years to at least one, she was in the end 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 in regards to 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 need to warn others: don’t begin with medicine, as a result of it’s a path of no return. I began with a joint, and as we speak I prostitute myself to purchase cigarettes” she admitted, “I simply smoke a bit skunk, I simply smoke a joint, oh, a joint is pure, Brother… It begins like this: a joint, then cocaine, then crack… After which 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 every thing away from me like He did with Job, however sooner or later He’ll give all of it again. He’s testing me like He examined Jesus within the desert.”
She concluded with a promise to show her life round and obtain a cheerful ending. Initially from Cidade de Deus, a neighborhood 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. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, she confronted monetary hardships and relied on authorities emergency support to make ends meet.
