FORT WORTH, Texas – PBR fans, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for since Nov. 16, 2024.

That was the day that 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias had his title defense cut devastatingly short as he broke his femur on just his second bull of the 2025 Unleash The Beast season.

It’s been a long road to recovery for the 23-year-old, but on Thursday, he took to PBR Now to tell Kate Harrison and Matt West the latest news.

“The latest is my return to PBR,” he joked with Kansas City Outlaws assistant coach Guilherme Marchi translating.

Dias is preparing for his first in-arena action in five months at the PBR Knockout Kansas City, part of the TKO Takeover weekend, on April 24. The PBR Knockout is a Team Missouri vs. The World format, with riders from the Outlaws and the Missouri Thunder joining forces to take on a squad of some of the hottest riders from the other eight teams.

RELATED: PBR Knockout: Missouri vs. The World 101

“He’s very excited to come back,” Marchi said on PBR Now. “He tried to push himself kind of two weeks, three weeks ago. ‘I want to get on some bulls. I want to get on some bulls.’ And me and (head coach) J.W. (Hart) say, ‘It’s not time yet, Cassio.’ ‘No, I’m feeling good, I’m ready.’ We said, ‘Not yet. Next week.’ We tried to keep telling him, ‘Next week, next week, next week.’ And these past two weeks, he’s been getting on bulls and he’s so excited. It’s step by step, and he’s going to go next week, and let’s see what Cassio’s feeling, because it’s 100% on him, on his body, and also if he handles the pain, if he’s good to ride bulls. He says he is, but I don’t know. Let’s see.”

It's been a special time for Dias to be at home. He and his wife, Juliana, recently welcomed their first child, a daughter named Barbara. He’s used his time to not just recover from his injury but also be with his new family of three.

“Everything’s good,” Dias said. “I won’t sleep tonight.”

Such is life with a newborn.

“Barbara’s doing good, growing,” Marchi said. “Cassio’s so happy about his family, his ranch, his life in the United States. Everything is blessed. And also, the doctor told Cassio he could return to the arena in six months, and it’s five months after he broke his leg in the first event. It’s kind of crazy because, pretty much back-to-back, he broke his back at the Finals, and after that, at the first event, he was hurt pretty bad again. What’s happened with Cassio, I saw in my life, my bull riding career. Some of those people broke femurs and never rode bulls again, you know? He pushes himself hard to be better, and he eats right, he drinks right, and does a lot of exercise. He’s a different cat, this kid right here.”

Indeed, the last year has been a rough one for Dias on the injury front. He fractured his back and rib during Eliminations of the 2024 PBR World Finals, returning to ride at the Championship in AT&T Stadium to secure the world title. He competed for the Outlaws during the 2024 PBR Teams season during the summer and fall, helping to lead his team to the regular-season title. But he was back in the hospital with his broken femur nearly as soon as the 2025 UTB season began.

“I love riding bulls,” Dias said. “I know, having my daughter right now, I love staying home with my family, but I miss riding bulls.”

RELATED: Dias ‘craving’ a return as he recovers from broken femur

“He likes feeling the energy of the arena, smelling the bulls,” Marchi added. “He misses that, and that’s why he kind of rushed to get back on track again.”

As much as Dias pushed his recovery, it simply wasn’t enough time to give him a realistic shot at accomplishing anything this season. While he’s healthy, he won’t be competing at the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast on May 8-18 in Texas.

“No, no chance you’ll see me at World Finals this year,” Dias said. “Only next year.”

That means the PBR Knockout is the only chance to watch the champ in action before the PBR Teams season kicks off in July. Tickets are on sale now, and fans can tune in live exclusively on RidePass and the PBR app. PBR Now will be filming a live pre-show, which will air with the opening ceremony on YouTube and Facebook as well.

It’s a one-of-a-kind event you won’t want to miss, and Marchi and the Outlaws are glad their MVP will be there to give them a boost.

“I hope we see Cassio ride really good next week,” Marchi said with a laugh. “We need Cassio.”

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media