Brad Flores: “I Had a Feeling I Was Going to Become Champion”

At the 2026 Pan American SAMBO Championships, held in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Honduras' Brad Fernando Flores Hernandez claimed gold in the men's +98kg Sport SAMBO category.

Right after the awards ceremony, the champion admitted he still couldn't quite find the words to describe how he felt.

“Honestly, it's a feeling I don't even know how to describe. There was something inside me – right from the start, from the moment I was on my way here, I had this feeling that I was going to become champion. But I always told myself: let it be God's will. And it seems God wanted me to win,” the athlete shared.

The final proved to be a tense one, and much of the crowd's support was behind the Honduran.

“What can I say – after so many years in this world, a real brotherhood forms in SAMBO. We all know each other, and I'm so grateful for the support the Pan American SAMBO community gave me at this tournament,” Flores said.

About forty minutes after the final match, the athlete talked through the moment that turned out to be decisive in the fight for gold.

“It happened right after my first attack, when my opponent got back up and tried to counter-attack – I threw him flat on his back. I felt that was a really important moment in the match, because he felt the full force I was attacking with,” the champion said.

For Flores, though, the toughest test wasn't the match itself, but the wait before stepping onto the mat.

“Honestly, there was nothing difficult once I was actually on the mat. But standing outside waiting to be called – that's a truly awful feeling,” the athlete admitted.

Wrapping up the conversation, Flores had words of thanks for his loved ones.

“To my family, my friends, everyone in general – thank you so much for the support. It's been quite a few years since I started, and this is far from my first Pan American Championships, but I know you've always been there for me, and I'll always be grateful for that,” said Brad Flores.