Luiz “Golden Boy” Cado’s run as BRAVE CF super welterweight champion is over before it ever truly began.
BRAVE Combat Federation announced that Cado has relinquished the 175-pound title, as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury that required two surgeries. The 33-year-old Brazilian has been out of action since Oct. 2024, when he captured the belt from Kamal Magomedov in the main event of BRAVE CF 89.
“This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Cado told the promotion. “It hurts to let go of something I worked my whole life for, but I believe the division deserves to keep moving forward.
“I will always be grateful to BRAVE Combat Federation, the fans, and everyone who supported me on this journey.”
Cado won the championship due to a disqualification in an anticlimactic finish against Magomedov, a result that left him eager to legitimize his reign in the cage. Instead, lingering knee issues forced him to the sidelines for most of 2025 and ultimately led to his decision to vacate the belt.
He made clear, however, that this is not the end.
“I am not retiring,” Cado said. “I still believe I have more to give to this sport. Right now, my full focus is on recovery and getting healthy.”
Cado exits the title picture undefeated in four BRAVE CF appearances, with three finishes, having quickly established himself as one of the division’s most dangerous threats.
His departure dramatically shifts the landscape at 175 pounds ahead of BRAVE CF 104 on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. In the main event, Serbia’s Nikola Joksović faces Brazil’s Luciano Palhano in a pivotal super welterweight bout, with the winner likely moving on to face interim champion Alex “Da Killa King” Lohoré for the now-vacant title later this year.
The belt is vacant. The race to claim it begins in Belgrade.