Edival discovered taekwondo two years later, fell in love with the South Korean fight and changed sports.

He reached the round of 16, where he had to face the Korean Lee Dae-hoon, holder of two Olympic medals and two-time champion world, and was eliminated.

[12] At the 2018 Pan American Taekwondo Championships, Edival won the gold medal in the 68 kg category, becoming champion of the competition for the first time.

He won the gold medal at the 68 kg category, defeating Bernardo Pié, from the Dominican Republic, in the final, in an exciting and comeback fight by 17 to 14.

[20] At the 2022 Pan American Taekwondo Championships, Edival won the gold medal in the 74 kg category, becoming champion of the competition for the second time.

[24][25][26] At the 2023 Pan American Games, the men's team, formed by Edival Pontes, Maicon Andrade and Paulo Melo, won an unprecedented gold medal for the country, after a thrilling comeback over Cuba in the semifinals, with a 76-60 triumph, and a crushing victory over Chile 48 to 16, where the Brazilian team was impressive in front of the noisy fans who attended the Centro de Deportes de Contacto.