After shocking the boxing world with his knockout against Jaime Munguia in Mexico, Surace stepped into another defining arena: Saudi Arabia, where the rematch exposed him to both the glamour and the brutal politics of the sport. Now, as he looks toward a new chapter with Zuffa Boxing, the French fighter is not just chasing victories. He is building a global story, one shaped by discipline, heritage, and the kind of ambition that travels far beyond the ring.
Fashion Editor: Victor Concepto
Photographer: Yassine Taha
Executive Producer: Karim Naceur
Production: Clandestino Films
Location: Grassroots Village, Dubai
AM: You started boxing at just three years old, introduced by your father. Do you remember when it stopped being a game and became a calling?
Bruno Surace: Yes, I remember. I was 13 years old and had reached the final of the French Cadet Championships. That was when I told myself I could dream of going further. It was also the first time in my life that I felt real pressure.
AM: You grew up in Marseille’s Belle de Mai, a neighborhood with a strong identity. How did that environment shape your mindset as both a man and an athlete?
Bruno Surace: Marseille is a warm city, and Belle de Mai is a very working-class neighborhood. I think growing up there shaped me deeply as a person. As an athlete, it gave me a sense of duty, the need to push beyond my limits and make my people proud. They are all behind me, like one big family. In that kind of environment, everything is built around family and solidarity. We lift each other up, and that is something very powerful.
AM: Unlike many fighters, you pursued higher education alongside your career, earning degrees in business law and sport management. How does that intellectual discipline influence the way you approach the ring?
Bruno Surace: I think the two go hand in hand. Learning how to think analytically sharpens the way I read situations in the ring, and vice versa. Sport and academics are not opposites. At the risk of surprising people, boxing is an intellectual sport. It requires rapid analysis and split-second decision-making, and the price of a miscalculation is a punch to the face.
AM: You’ve been described as the “Clark Kent of boxing,” a
thinker who can switch into a fighter. Do you see boxing as something
instinctive, or something deeply strategic?
Bruno Surace: I
genuinely approach boxing like a game of chess. For me, it is incredibly
stimulating to find the right way to win based on the problem my
opponent creates. We build a game plan, then adapt it to the reality of
the fight. It becomes a true puzzle, solved collectively with my corner.
AM:
Your knockout against Jaime Munguia in Mexico changed everything
overnight. Take us back to that moment. What did you feel when you
realized you had just shocked the boxing world?
Bruno Surace: It
took me more than a year to fully understand what I had achieved
athletically. But in that exact moment, when it was all over, I took a
breath and told myself: “Bruno, from today, you will be able to live
like a true high-level athlete. The struggle is over.”
AM: The
rematch in Saudi Arabia was intense and controversial, especially with
what later emerged about your opponent. How did that experience reshape
your view of the sport?
Bruno Surace: I think that fight
genuinely stripped away my fan-like innocence. I used to idealize
champions and the sport, but the reality is also economic, boxing is a
business. Munguia generates money, so the industry protected him despite
two positive tests, while I was left with an undeserved loss and a
serious health risk.
Boxing is a sport where you get hit, so doping is extremely dangerous. If he is a man of his word, we will meet again to close this chapter in a trilogy, and this time, without doping.
AM: Discipline is a recurring theme in your story, from your
upbringing to your training. What does discipline mean to you today,
beyond boxing?
Bruno Surace: I can no longer approach anything
without total commitment, and I would say that serves me well in life.
The discipline that sport instilled in me has given me a very positive
way of seeing things. Even when things are not going perfectly,
discipline helps me never give up. I am convinced that practicing sport
and competing helps create better human beings.
AM: You
represent a mix of cultures, Italian through your father, Moroccan
through your mother, and French by upbringing. How does that identity
influence who you are, both inside and outside the ring?
Bruno
Surace: I think that very Mediterranean blend has truly enriched
everything that Marseille brought out in me. That triple culture and
open-mindedness are real strengths. Today, they help me stay connected
to my roots while evolving in a very international environment.
AM:
You’ve fought in places like Mexico and Saudi Arabia, two very
different cultural arenas. How do you adapt mentally when stepping into a
ring far from home?
Bruno Surace: I am a sports fan, so I live
the experience fully, but I am also a spectator of my own adventure. I
see it as a blessing to be able to move between different arenas and to
be far from home. I am also lucky to have a very solid support system
that follows me everywhere. In the end, we feel at home everywhere.
AM:
Winning the Ring Award for “Surprise of the Year” in London is a major
recognition. Did it feel like validation, or just the beginning?
Bruno
Surace: It was an incredibly powerful moment for me, receiving an award
in front of so many people I admired. I do not think I have ever been
that nervous in my life, and you could hear it in my accent. But
honestly, it was a very strong moment, one that will stay engraved in my
memory forever.
I would call it both a consecration and a validation. But now that I am in that sphere, I have to go even further.
AM:
Boxing is often seen as a solitary sport, yet your journey clearly
involves a strong inner circle. Who keeps you grounded today?
Bruno
Surace: Boxing is actually an extremely team-oriented sport. My inner
circle has been the same for more than 15 years. In my corner, there is
my father, my friend who started boxing with me, and who, in my opinion,
is one of the best analysts, as well as my training partners, who push
me every day.
Without them, I would never have been able to build
the career I have started. They are essential. My relationships with my
coaches and my staff are family relationships.
AM: Outside the ring, how would you define your personal style, both in fashion and in attitude?Bruno Surace: I am someone who does not overthink things. I prioritize comfort, but I also care about always having that one great piece, the right look, because it matters. Look good, play good, right?
I think my style is very urban, but I keep an elegant side too. Just like in life, I move between different worlds. I can be with friends one moment and in a more serious meeting the next, so I need to bridge that gap easily.
AM: Finally, what’s next for you?
Bruno Surace: What is next looks exciting. I am finalizing the signing of a long-term contract with a very promising new league. Dana White is launching Zuffa Boxing, which will be broadcast widely around the world, and I will have the stability to truly unlock my potential.
A first fight is coming soon, sometime this summer, and we will be seeing each other again very quickly.