Robson Conceição

Robson Donato Conceição (born 25 October 1988) is a Brazilian professional boxer.

He is a two-time super featherweight world title challenger, having challenged for the WBC title in 2021, and the unified WBC, WBO and The Ring titles in 2022.

Just four months after entering the Brazilian boxing team, Conceição fought the qualifiers for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

While he fell in the first American qualifier to Idel Torriente, Conceição won all fights to get an Olympic spot.

He eventually lost his opening match to Li Yang.

After losing in the first round of the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships, in 2011 Conceição won two bouts before a close 18:19 decision to the eventual winner Vasyl Lomachenko.

That same year he got a silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, losing in the final to eventual Olympic medalist Yasniel Toledo and guaranteeing a second Olympic spot.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London Conceição again lost his first match.

During the Pan Ams, Conceição proposed to his girlfriend, fellow boxer Érica Matos, whom he married in 2013.

The following year the couple had a daughter, Sophia.

Conceição won a silver and a bronze medal at the 2013 and 2015 tournaments, the latter guaranteeing him the Olympic spot.

Before the Olympics, in 2015 Pan American Championships in Vargas, Venezuela, he won the gold medal after beating Cuban Lázaro Álvarez in the final, in the quarterfinals (his first fight) he won a 3–0 decision against Lindolfo Delgado of Mexico; in the semifinals he won a 3–0 decision against Luis Angel Cabrera of Venezuela; in the finals he won a 3–0 decision against Lázaro Álvarez of Cuba.

At the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Conceição won four fights, including against three-time world champion Lázaro Álvarez and European silver medallist Sofiane Oumiha, to become the first Brazilian boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.

As an amateur, he became the first Brazilian boxer to win an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Olympics.

Born in Salvador, capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, Conceição started boxing at the age of 13 to stand on his own in street fights.

He had to walk 9 kilometers to his academy due to not having money for bus tickets, woke up early in the morning to help his grandmother who sold groceries, and helped his family by selling ice cream and being a kitchen helper.

His first coach was Luiz Dórea, who also managed world champion Acelino Freitas, Olympic medallist Adriana Araújo, and MMA fighter Junior dos Santos.

Hoping to take part in the 2016 Summer Olympics that would be hosted in Brazil, Conceição did not turn professional, instead signing with the Brazilian Navy to gain the scholarship and training facilities reserved for military sportspersons.

After the 2016 Olympics, Conceição signed a professional promotion contract with Top Rank.

He finished his amateur career with a record of 405–15.

Conceição's professional debut happened on November 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, as one of the undercards in the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas event.

He won the fight by unanimous decision, with two scorecards of 60–54 and one scorecard of 60–53.

Conceição next faced Aaron Ely on January 27, 2017.

He won the fight by a second-round knockout, the first stoppage victory of his career.

Conceição was then booked to face the over-matched Aaron Hollis on March 17, 2017.

He once again won by a second-round knockout.

Conceição had his first minor step-up in competition on July 21, 2017, when he faced Bernardo Gomez Uribe.

He needed only 53 seconds to stop the Mexican.

Conceição was booked to face Carlos Osorio on September 22, 2017, in his final fight of the year.

Osorio retired from the fight at the end of the third round.

Conceição began his 2018 campaign by facing he undefeated prospect Ignacio Holguin on February 16, 2018.

He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 60–52, 60–52 and 60–54.

Conceição next faced Alex Torres Rynn on April 28, 2018.

He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 60–54 in his favor.

Conceição faced Gavino Guaman on June 30, 2018, in his eight professional appearance.

He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.

Conceição was then scheduled to face Edgar Cantu on August 25, 2018.

He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges awarding Conceição an 80–71 scorecard.

Conceição faced Joey Laviolette on November 4, 2018, in his final fight of the year.

He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 80–72 for the Brazilian.