#005 with Diogo Pereira - From Congo to Corporate Tech, Unsanctioned MMA, & Raising Martial Arts Champions

Host Miko captures the raw magic directly after a hard training session to sit down with one of the absolute nicest guys you will ever meet: Diogo Pereira. Diogo wears a rash guard that proudly reads "Always Injured"—and true to form, he managed to tweak his MCL right before the microphones turned on. In this incredible, cross-continental conversation, they trace Diogo’s journey from growing up amid a looming civil war in Africa to surviving the wild, unsanctioned world of early Eastern European MMA cages, and ultimately finding peace, sanity, and a legacy for his children on the jiu-jitsu mats of Malaga. What's Inside the Episode:Pyjamas in the African Heat: Diogo shares his earliest memories of martial arts at age four, watching his mother train judo and feeling the gruelling physical tax of practising in a heavy gi while growing up in the Congo. The Global Mutts: Moving from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Portugal, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and finally Spain, Diogo explains how his family "spread like a virus" and how adapting to different cultures shaped his worldview. The Unsanctioned Cage Era: What it was like entering the Czech Republic fight scene in 2007—competing in rickety cages locked with literal bicycle chains, seeing an ambulance at a venue for the first time, and why early record-tracking meant checking stamps on a paper license rather than searching online databases. Losing the Fire: A deep look into Diogo’s final 15-minute MMA battle, why falling asleep and having a super-low heart rate of 57 before a fight was the ultimate signal that his competitive fire had softened, and why stepping away from the trauma of head injuries was a necessary choice for his family. The 21-Kilo Derailment: A hilarious look into corporate tech life in Prague, meeting his Slovakian wife, and how empathy during her pregnancy led to a massive lifestyle derailment of pizza, burgers, heavy lifting, and an inability to tie his own shoelaces. The Mastermind Bodybuilders: How a group of competitive bodybuilders in Prague finally introduced Diogo to tracking macros and mapping out proper recovery protocols using Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc, and B6. Miko’s Redemption Arc: Diogo flips the script and interviews Mikko about his roots—from hardcore wrestling at age 4 to escaping a past of bad decisions in France and arriving in Spain completely broke but determined to let jiu-jitsu serve as the backbone of his life. Viral Power: The story behind Miko’s massive viral boom—going from traditional long-form editing to hitting 1.2 million views on his first short reel and a massive 7.1 million hits on his legendary Power Kimura video. The Balance of Parent Craft: Raising three completely different kids, why jiu-jitsu is the perfect cerebral playground to help an introverted daughter build confidence, and the struggles of handling a naturally athletic son who wants to abandon his championships to play handball. The Holy Grail of Desserts: Why Diogo strictly forbids himself from learning how to bake, the heavy sugar legacy of traditional Portuguese conventional sweets, and eating dessert before his main meal.Memorable Quote:"Jiu-jitsu is the only sport that keeps my brain completely active even during dull corporate meetings. You can look like you are fully focused on a project, but your mind is quietly calculating underhook advantages." — Diogo PereiraEnjoy the episode and remember to subscribe to the podcast.Watch this episode's video on YouTube: ⁠Episode 5 on YouTube⁠Remember: Jiu-Jitsu Never Dies.Manto 🥋www.man.to/chokesCode: Chokes -15%Find me on:Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/chokes_and_more/⁠⁠TikTok: h⁠⁠ttps://www.tiktok.com/@chokes_and_more⁠⁠BJJ Fanatics: ⁠⁠https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_miko-hytonen⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@chokesandmore⁠