Cosmo Alexandre’s Love For His Children Shapes His Career

Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre’s fuel for his competitive fire comes directly from his family.

The Brazilian (69-18-1) continues to take on the world’s best strikers, and he will return to ONE Championship on Saturday, 17 November to clash with Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (90-14, 1 NC).

The co-main event bout of ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM in Jakarta, Indonesia will match the two experienced, explosive athletes in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout to be contested at 78 kilograms.

It is a challenge that will require every ounce of Alexandre’s effort to win.

When he needs to find the motivation to push through a grueling training camp to prepare for a battle like this, “Good Boy” looks to his children.

“If it wasn’t for my kids, I wouldn’t fight,” he says. “I do it for them. I do this so I can secure their future.”

The man from Santos, Sao Paulo began his professional career in his native Brazil in 2004, and traveled the world to train and compete.

He settled in Thailand, which was the ideal place for him to improve as an athlete and test himself in matches against some of the world’s best martial artists, but it was not easy to make a living from Muay Thai.

When his first-born child, Anthony, entered the world, he had to change his focus. Narrowly getting by so he could pursue his love for martial arts was not enough anymore.

“Anthony was just a really little baby when we had to leave,” he explains.

“It was not just for the love now. I needed to think about my family and make money.”

Alexandre left Asia for the Netherlands, and then relocated to the USA in search of better prospects. He turned his hand to mixed martial arts to further provide for his family, and he had success in the cage.

However, with the birth of his daughter, Gabi, “Good Boy” decided he wanted to move again so they could be around their relatives.

“I knew I needed to be home in Brazil. That was the best place for my kids and family,” he says.

Back in his hometown, they were surrounded by family and friends, and the beach was a stone’s throw away.

Alexandre’s children could now have the kind of upbringing he had envisioned, with the best possible chance at a bright future.

That does not mean he will push them toward a career in martial arts, though the 36-year-old would like his offspring to learn some of its values to keep them on the right path.

“Discipline is the most important thing,” he reveals.

“I don’t really want them to be involved in Muay Thai and kickboxing, but I like judo. You don’t need to be a fighter, but you’ll learn good discipline and respect, like in the Japanese culture.”

Despite his wishes for them not to follow in his footsteps, Alexandre’s children still admire his success as a martial artist.

However, more than anything, they just want to spend time with their father.

“After a fight, I go home, and they say, ‘Oh, daddy won, nice – now let’s play a game,’” he says with a chuckle.

“Sometimes, people see me in the street and want to take pictures, and my kids smile about that.

“That’s nice, but they don’t know about my name in the sport. They don’t care if I’m a champion or anything. They care if I play with them, or go to the beach – that’s most important.”

Alexandre’s son and daughter may not yet realize the sacrifices he makes to give them a comfortable life, but they love their father, and that is worth more than any prize money to “Good Boy.”