William Macario will compete on Friday’s LFA 47 card. However, that was very close to not being the case.

Macario (9-3) has been waiting more than three years to get back to fighting for a U.S.-based organization. He gets his shot in a welterweight bout against Ramiz Brahimaj (6-1) at LFA 47, but the lead-up to the bout hasn’t exactly been an ideal one for the Brazilian.

According to Macario, 27, his entire fight week routine was thrown off by a delay in his travel to Dallas. It all stemmed from an issue involving his passport.

“I had a few problems coming to America,” Macario told MMAjunkie. “I was supposed to leave Rio on Sunday and arrive on Monday to have my medical exams. But I had a problem with my passport. I wasn’t allowed to leave the country since my passport only had three months left on it. I had to do the impossible. I contacted friends of friends, and thankfully I was able to get a new passport in 24 hours. That’s how I was able to travel.”

LFA 47 takes place at The Bomb Factory in Dallas. The event airs on AXS TV.

The hiccup with Macario’s arrival to Dallas nearly led to his fight being called off, he said. He missed his medical exams and was way behind schedule, but he said it was all eventually sorted.

“I had problems with the athletic commission in Dallas,” Macario said. “I had exams scheduled on Monday, but I wasn’t able to make it. I just arrived. I’ve been going around town all day, doing exams. I wasn’t able to stop for anything – training or even cutting weight. I’m running around. I’m feeling a bit tired. But this is just another test to make me stronger.”

Fortunately for Macario, he’s no stranger to adversity. He made his name in the sport through a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2” and four subsequent UFC bouts. He’s fought just twice since his final octagon appearance in February 2015, though, and he said that’s due to a inability to book fights that actually materialized.

“The UFC let me go, but I did very well afterward in the Fight 2 Night promotion,” Macario said. “I had two good victories there. But then they canceled my bouts about four times. That was a problem for me. With every postponement, I didn’t get to fight, and I need to fight to make ends meet. But it wasn’t a bad thing. Some things happen so we can gain experience. And now I’m about to fight in an international organization again (with LFA). I just love it.”

Macario said he’s an optimist, and even though the past few years haven’t been ideal, he’s of the belief that, “Even the bad experiences had a good purpose.” He now has his sights set on doing big things with LFA and becoming the organization’s 170-pound titleholder, and it all begins with winning impressively against Brahimaj.

“Ramiz Brahimaj is also a grappler with jiu-jitsu, and he doesn’t impress me,” Macario said. “During the first round, he tries as hard as he can to get the fight to the ground. He’s very dangerous during the first round. Our difference is that I’m dangerous in the first, second, and third rounds. He uses up all his stamina and explosiveness to try to win on the first. I can KO him in any round.”

For more on LFA 47, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.