Venezuelan MMA fighters react to the liberation of their country after the arrest and extradition of longtime dictator Nicolas Máduro
Freedom. It’s something the people of Venezuela have dreamt of for two decades.
That dream became a reality on Saturday morning, though, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Máduro was arrested by American armed forces that stormed the oppressed South American country, took the longtime dictator and his wife into federal custody and swiftly extradited them to New York City where they were placed in jail cells.
While citizens of Venezuela took to the streets in droves to celebrate the outcome, MMA fighters from Venezuela shared their feelings about the historic day with Fajador.com. Here is what they had to say:
Alberto “The Promise” Montes, UFC Featherweight; Born in Barquisimeto, Lara – “I was asleep when everything happened and, when I woke up at 7 a.m., I had several calls from my parents. It seemed strange to me. I called them back, and they were crying with happiness and they screamed at me ‘They took Maduro!’ What I felt at the time was strange. It was like, ‘I’m still asleep’. I hung up with them, and then I saw all the news and (it was) the truth. I felt a joy that I thought would never come. This is the beginning of a new Venezuela”.
Roy “The Unbroken” Echeverria, The Ultimate Fighter 33 competitor; Born in Maturin, Monagas – “The events in Venezuela mark a historic moment filled with deep emotion and reflection. The capture of Nicolás Maduro brings a powerful mix of relief, pain, and hope. On a personal level, it revives memories of the hardships endured during his rule—close friends who lost their lives, the countless sacrifices made, and the many times it felt as if that fight had been in vain. But what happened today gives me certainty: it was never in vain. Their struggles mattered, and their sacrifice was not meaningless, even though they tragically lost their lives. I believe this represents a major step toward changing the course of Venezuela’s history. Now the country enters a delicate and critical phase, and I hope the transitional government will be as strong and responsible as possible—one that prevents further violence, protects innocent lives, and truly respects the will of the Venezuelan people and the freedom that has been pursued for so many years. I also believe that with the support of the international community—and with the help of The United States and President Donald Trump—those goals can be achieved. There is still a great deal ahead, and this process is only the beginning, but I hold onto hope with full conviction that the best is yet to come for our nation, Venezuela.”
Piera “La Fiera” Rodriguez, UFC Strawweight; Born in Maracaibo, Zulia – “I’m so happy that we’re finally starting to see some justice in my country. I know we have a very long road ahead of us in terms of reconstruction and social reconciliation, but I believe Venezuelans have learned their lesson. The U.S. is giving us the help we need to rewrite our history.”
Johan “Shakazulu” Murillo, Samurai Fight House Bantamweight; Born in Barquisimeto, Lara – “When I speak about Venezuela, I am not speaking from partisan politics. I speak from the body, from hunger, from training, and from human resistance.
For years, the regime of Nicolás Maduro did not only destroy an economy; it corroded the human fabric of the country. Athletes were among the sectors most affected, though rarely visible. Sport, which should be a tool for progress, discipline, and international representation, became a daily fight for survival. There was a time when I, as an athlete, went to training not knowing whether my body had enough fuel to perform. I remember something I will never forget. Our coach would arrive and wouldn’t ask about times or performance. He asked something far more basic and painful:
‘Who had breakfast today? Who was able to eat?’
That was the reality of Venezuela.
High-performance athletes, representing a state, a country, divided into groups not by technical level, but by whether they had eaten or not. Those who hadn’t eaten trained lightly, because the body simply couldn’t handle more. Those who had managed to eat once—or if lucky, twice—during the day trained harder.
And that was considered ‘normal.’ Eating three meals a day was not an option. There were no resources. There was no support. There was no clear future.
And yet, we trained. We dreamed. We resisted.
That was the regime’s legacy for Venezuelan sport: wasted talent, postponed dreams, and athletes forced to be strong too early—not by choice, but by necessity.
Today, in light of international events, judicial actions, and growing pressure that finally points toward real accountability for the crimes committed, something begins to appear that for years seemed unthinkable: a light at the end of the tunnel.
I am not naive. Venezuela will not change overnight. The damage was deep—structural and human. Recovery will take time, perhaps years. But something does change today: the feeling that the cycle is beginning to break. When the head of a corrupt system falls or is brought before justice, the possibility opens to slowly dismantle an entire network that, for years, suffocated the country at every level: political, social, economic, and sporting.
For me, as a professional athlete, this is not a speech—it is a concrete hope. Because sport needs clean systems, real opportunities, and international stages where talent is measured by merit, not by resistance to hunger.
Today I continue my career outside Venezuela, representing not only a flag, but a story. A story of sacrifice, of discipline forged in scarcity, and of character built through adversity. That experience defines me as both an athlete and a person.
And that is why I believe the international sports world—promoters, leagues, organizations—also has a role: to give space to stories born in extreme contexts and now ready to compete at the highest level.
Venezuela is beginning a long but necessary process. And many Venezuelan athletes are ready to show that, even in the worst conditions, character, talent, and hunger for victory can be forged.
Now, with a future that for the first time in a long while feels possible, that strength finally has a path forward. What I express here is my personal point of view, based on my experience and on what I believe.
With this global news regarding the situation of Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to The United States to face judicial proceedings, I personally feel happy and hopeful, because today that light at the end of the tunnel for Venezuela feels clearer.
This is a deeply delicate, extensive, and painful issue that we have carried for many years at every level. But what is happening in the early hours of today and throughout this day marks a breaking point—a sign that something is beginning to move. It does not mean everything is resolved, nor that change will be immediate, but it does represent a closer and more real hope that Venezuela can, little by little, begin to rebuild and heal.”
