Amateur MMA Circuit Debuts in Brazil
Gleidson Venga Nov 6, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Nov. 4 -- The first edition of the
Brazilian amateur MMA circuit hosted 20 excellent fights on Sunday
in the beautiful Delfim academy. With first-rate organization, the
event provided nonstop entertainment.
The idea of businessman Jose Mauricio Costa to create an amateur foundation for the sport in Brazil had been viewed with suspicion by critics who felt shin protectors, headgear and restricted rules would make the fights boring.
What resulted, however, was precisely the opposite. Dozens of
fighters were looking for a new place to compete, where they could
test themselves and see if MMA is the career they want to
pursue.
Athletes from elite teams such as Brazilian Top Team, Nova União, RFT and Black House mixed with promising squads like Bronx's Gold Team, Beto Padilha and Top Brother. Those who thought the traditionally strong national teams would have an easy time were wrong. Fighters from several cities in Brazil were equal to the students of Murilo Bustamante (Pictures), Marcio "Cromado," Andre Pederneiras and others.
"I thought this event was amazing," Tavares said.
The talented UFC lightweight compared the show to his amateur experience: at a bar in the United States. "There were no weight divisions, and you just had to sign up, put 14-ounces glove on and fight," he recalled.
The amateur circuit will strengthen the sport in Brazil, Tavares said, because fighters will gain valuable experience, and their professional records won't suffer. New talent will be more easily discovered, and developing Brazilians will be able to fight in MMA instead of honing their skills solely in rule-restrictive jiu-jitsu or muay Thai competitions.
"When I was 14 years old, if this circuit had been around then, I would fight in it rather than fight in Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships," Tavares said. "Foreigners are in trouble because now we will beat them more."
The words of the UFC veteran echo the feeling of the 40 fighters who stepped in the ring for the first amateur circuit event, which already displayed promising young fighters.
In particular, 14-year-old Jose Carlos "Polenguinho" (Nova União) showed the excellent ground game his school is known for and submitted Igor Flores (Bob Padilha) with a arm-triangle choke in the second round.
Rodrigo Savedra (Champions Factory), a student of Artur Mariano, won by technical knockout over Eliton Vieira (Gracie Barra). Charles da Silva (Bronx's Gold Team) showed an established submission game in armbarring Rui "Pitbull" (RFT) in the second round, after almost finishing the fight earlier with a rear-naked choke and a triangle.
The audience, which had cheered vehemently for da Silva, was most electrified when Diego Peclat (Thai Boxing) showed off his pure striking against Regivaldo Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team). With superior muay Thai, Peclat won by TKO in the first round.
Everton Santana (Bronx's Gold Team) avenged his teammate's defeat against Thai Boxing Academy, this time represented by Thiago Arimatéia, ending the fight with an armbar in the first. In the last two battles, Heraldo Nunes Jr. (PJC / BTT) stopped Mauricio Britto (Bob Padilha), and heavyweight Leandro Ferreira (Libra) overcame Marcos Antonio (Nova União) with a kimura.
By the end of the night, the show was clearly a success in the view of Mauricio Costa and the event organizers.
"We showed that it is possible to treat MMA as sport, including allowing the participation of children, since everything is done with great responsibility," Costa said. "Not even a nail was broken in 20 fights. And the kids -- 14, 15, 16 and 17 years old -- have shown that they have not only the right attitude but also very technical skills. Now I will work to organize a schedule and make the circuit happen in several cities during the year 2008."
Results:
José Carlos "Polenguinho" (Nova União) def. Igor Flores (Beto Padilha) arm-triangle choke R2
Pelé Richard (Delfim) def. Felipe Índio (Nova União) decision
Luis Cláudio Souza (MMA SuperTeam) def. André Borges (RFT) guillotine choke R2
Rodrigo Lima (Tata Fight Team) def. Thiago (Fibra FT) decision
Luis Gustavo Santos (Top Brother) def. Igor Pinto Maranhão (BTT) decision
Yuri Carlton (Roan Jucão) def. Wellington Gonçalves (Oriente/Nova União) decision
Rodrigo Digão (Eduardo Felipe) def. Fábio Farinha (Champions Factory) decision
Rodrigo Savedra (Champions Factory) def. Elliton Vieira (Gracie Barra) TKO R2
Luis Beto "Bebeto" (RFT) def. Thiago Teixeira (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Wellington Brasília (BTT) def. Paulo Ricardo Oliveira (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Marcos Martinez (BTT) def. Márcio Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Carlos Eduardo (Tata Fight Team) def. Rafael Carvalho (Academia Silgic)
Charles da Silva (Bronx's Gold Team) def. Rui "Pitbull" (RFT) armbar R2
Diego Peclat (Boxe Thai) def. Regivaldo Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team) TKO R1
Thomaz Sena (Brasa) def. Paulo Barros (De La Riva /Barra Mansa) decision
Maurício Chueke (RFT) drew with Fabio Junior Souza (Black House)
Michel (Tata Fight Team) def. Sérgio Luis (Beto Padilha) decision
Everton Santana (Bronx 's Gold Team) def. Thiago Arimatéia (Boxe Thai) armbar R1
Heraldo Nunes Jr. (PJC/BTT) def. Maurício Britto (Beto Padilha) TKO R2
Leandro Ferreira da Silva (Libra) def. Marcos Antônio (Nova União) keylock R2
The idea of businessman Jose Mauricio Costa to create an amateur foundation for the sport in Brazil had been viewed with suspicion by critics who felt shin protectors, headgear and restricted rules would make the fights boring.
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Athletes from elite teams such as Brazilian Top Team, Nova União, RFT and Black House mixed with promising squads like Bronx's Gold Team, Beto Padilha and Top Brother. Those who thought the traditionally strong national teams would have an easy time were wrong. Fighters from several cities in Brazil were equal to the students of Murilo Bustamante (Pictures), Marcio "Cromado," Andre Pederneiras and others.
In addition to Bustamante, various MMA personalities attended the
event, including Thiago
Tavares (Pictures), Rousimar Palhares, Leonardo
Nascimento and Milton
Vieira (Pictures).
"I thought this event was amazing," Tavares said.
The talented UFC lightweight compared the show to his amateur experience: at a bar in the United States. "There were no weight divisions, and you just had to sign up, put 14-ounces glove on and fight," he recalled.
The amateur circuit will strengthen the sport in Brazil, Tavares said, because fighters will gain valuable experience, and their professional records won't suffer. New talent will be more easily discovered, and developing Brazilians will be able to fight in MMA instead of honing their skills solely in rule-restrictive jiu-jitsu or muay Thai competitions.
"When I was 14 years old, if this circuit had been around then, I would fight in it rather than fight in Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships," Tavares said. "Foreigners are in trouble because now we will beat them more."
The words of the UFC veteran echo the feeling of the 40 fighters who stepped in the ring for the first amateur circuit event, which already displayed promising young fighters.
In particular, 14-year-old Jose Carlos "Polenguinho" (Nova União) showed the excellent ground game his school is known for and submitted Igor Flores (Bob Padilha) with a arm-triangle choke in the second round.
Rodrigo Savedra (Champions Factory), a student of Artur Mariano, won by technical knockout over Eliton Vieira (Gracie Barra). Charles da Silva (Bronx's Gold Team) showed an established submission game in armbarring Rui "Pitbull" (RFT) in the second round, after almost finishing the fight earlier with a rear-naked choke and a triangle.
The audience, which had cheered vehemently for da Silva, was most electrified when Diego Peclat (Thai Boxing) showed off his pure striking against Regivaldo Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team). With superior muay Thai, Peclat won by TKO in the first round.
Everton Santana (Bronx's Gold Team) avenged his teammate's defeat against Thai Boxing Academy, this time represented by Thiago Arimatéia, ending the fight with an armbar in the first. In the last two battles, Heraldo Nunes Jr. (PJC / BTT) stopped Mauricio Britto (Bob Padilha), and heavyweight Leandro Ferreira (Libra) overcame Marcos Antonio (Nova União) with a kimura.
By the end of the night, the show was clearly a success in the view of Mauricio Costa and the event organizers.
"We showed that it is possible to treat MMA as sport, including allowing the participation of children, since everything is done with great responsibility," Costa said. "Not even a nail was broken in 20 fights. And the kids -- 14, 15, 16 and 17 years old -- have shown that they have not only the right attitude but also very technical skills. Now I will work to organize a schedule and make the circuit happen in several cities during the year 2008."
Results:
José Carlos "Polenguinho" (Nova União) def. Igor Flores (Beto Padilha) arm-triangle choke R2
Pelé Richard (Delfim) def. Felipe Índio (Nova União) decision
Luis Cláudio Souza (MMA SuperTeam) def. André Borges (RFT) guillotine choke R2
Rodrigo Lima (Tata Fight Team) def. Thiago (Fibra FT) decision
Luis Gustavo Santos (Top Brother) def. Igor Pinto Maranhão (BTT) decision
Yuri Carlton (Roan Jucão) def. Wellington Gonçalves (Oriente/Nova União) decision
Rodrigo Digão (Eduardo Felipe) def. Fábio Farinha (Champions Factory) decision
Rodrigo Savedra (Champions Factory) def. Elliton Vieira (Gracie Barra) TKO R2
Luis Beto "Bebeto" (RFT) def. Thiago Teixeira (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Wellington Brasília (BTT) def. Paulo Ricardo Oliveira (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Marcos Martinez (BTT) def. Márcio Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team) decision
Carlos Eduardo (Tata Fight Team) def. Rafael Carvalho (Academia Silgic)
Charles da Silva (Bronx's Gold Team) def. Rui "Pitbull" (RFT) armbar R2
Diego Peclat (Boxe Thai) def. Regivaldo Nunes (Bronx's Gold Team) TKO R1
Thomaz Sena (Brasa) def. Paulo Barros (De La Riva /Barra Mansa) decision
Maurício Chueke (RFT) drew with Fabio Junior Souza (Black House)
Michel (Tata Fight Team) def. Sérgio Luis (Beto Padilha) decision
Everton Santana (Bronx 's Gold Team) def. Thiago Arimatéia (Boxe Thai) armbar R1
Heraldo Nunes Jr. (PJC/BTT) def. Maurício Britto (Beto Padilha) TKO R2
Leandro Ferreira da Silva (Libra) def. Marcos Antônio (Nova União) keylock R2
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