WEC, Pride Veteran Paulo Filho to Make MMA Return at Event in Kuwait on June 11

Brazilian veteran Paulo Filho will return to action for the first time in more than four years when he steps into the cage at an event in Kuwait on June 11.

Psicoticos por VT was first to report the news. The Carlson Gracie black belt will square off against Egypt’s Mohamed Ashraf at a Wawan MMA event. The weight class and venue have not yet been announced by the promotion.

A number of personal problems have kept the 39-year-old Brazilian out of action since his last appearance — a decision loss to Andre Muniz at Bitetti Combat 19 — on Feb. 6, 2014. The former World Extreme Cagefighting champion was shot in the leg during a confrontation at a party in 2014. The bullet caused an exposed fracture to his left femur and put his fighting career in jeopardy.

Filho began his MMA career with 16 consecutive wins from 2000 to 2007 and was considered by many as the No. 2 middleweight in the world behind Anderson Silva at that time. However, Filho admitted that a drug problem derailed his career. The Brazilian Top Team representative went just 7-6-3 after that memorable beginning.

Filho owns notable victories over the likes of Chael Sonnen, Melvin Manhoef, Murilo Rua, Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Kondo, Kazuo Misaki and Joe Doerksen, among others.