European Kickboxing Champion Rui Botelho is from Mafra, a small city that is part of the greater Lisbon region in Portugal. Born into a military family, he was raised under strict discipline from his father, who recognized he needed an outlet for his energy at an early age. At his father’s insistence, Botelho began training in Muay Thai at the age of 16, and just like it has with so many other martial artists, the sport changed his life forever.