The ex-boxer José Adilson Rodrigues dos Santosbetter known as ‘Maguila’, the first Brazilian to be crowned world heavyweight champion and one of the greatest boxing idols in Brazil, died last Thursday, at the age of 66, a victim of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
The boxer died in a clinic in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo in which he had been admitted since 2017 to treat the incurable disease he suffered from and which doctors attribute to the blows to the head he received during his sports career.
The disease, which is also known as dementia pugilistica because it is common in ex-boxerswas diagnosed in 2013.
Five years after said diagnosis, Maguila agreed to donate his brain for research. Thus, in 2018 he presented a “declaration of will” expressing his interest in donating his brain to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMUSP). The institution has a group that studies the consequences of repeated impacts to the head. of athletes who practice football, boxing and rugby, for example.
The Brazilian boxing legend was born on July 11, 1958 in Aracajuthe capital of the impoverished state of Sergipe. His sporting career lasted from 1983 to 2000. Of his 85 professional fights, he won 77 (61 by ko), lost seven and was involved in a technical draw. Among the most famous confrontations is the famous fight against George Foremanin which he was knocked out by the American.
In 1995 he became the first Brazilian to win the world heavyweight championship belt in a fight for World Boxing Federationafter beating the English Johnny Nelson by points in the city of Osasco, in São Paulo.
‘Maguila’ began boxing shortly after arriving as an immigrant to Sao Paulowhere some of his brothers lived and where they suggested he make a living as a boxer due to his enormous size and muscles.
He began his professional career in 1983 after not finding rivals at his level as an amateur and only needed four fights to win the Brazilian heavyweight title and eleven to become the South American champion.
The Brazilian legend, however, suffered defeats by knockout against world idols such as the aforementioned Foreman, also an American. Evander Holyfield or the Argentine Daniel Falconi.
Two of his three children, Adenilson and Edimilsontried to pursue a professional career as boxers, but with little success.
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