Shooto Brazil 21 Set for Feb. 19; U.S. Show Planned for 2011

Hacran Dias (top) | Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog.com

The South American branch of Japan’s Shooto organization will start its most ambitious year to date on Feb. 19 with Shooto Brazil 21 at Bennett College Theater in Rio de Janeiro.

Shooto South America President Andre Pederneiras on Monday confirmed the show’s seven-fight card to Sherdog.com. News of the event was first reported by Brazilian website Tatame.com.

Matchups of note include Nova Uniao lightweight prospect Hacran Dias taking on Ricardo “Pitbull” Pires, UFC veteran Antonio “Samuray” Mendes going up against Cleber Tavares and Shooto Brazil mainstay Giovani Diniz facing Anderson Nunes.

Proceeds from Shooto Brazil 21 will go toward helping those affected by the deadly floods and landslides which hit the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro in mid-January.

“I’m doing this show to help the victims of the rains in Petropolis, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com on Monday. “I’ve always done Shooto to help the poor people. For me, it’s more important to help these people than to make money.”

Shooto Brazil 22 will take place in April, in the national capital of Brasilia, and will be followed by at least four more Brazilian shows this year. Pederneiras plans to stage up to 10 events in 2011, including possible trips to the United States and Argentina.

“The expectation is to bring Shooto to the United States this year and do at least one event there, since now I have a license to do shows all over America,” Pederneiras said in an interview with Tatame. “Since I have many students living there, I’m talking to some of them to see which city is best for us to hold the first Shooto event.”

Hacran Dias vs. Ricardo Pires
Antonio Mendes vs. Cleber Tavares
Giovani Diniz vs. Anderson Nunes
Aquiles Bestene Campos vs. Janailson Kevin Pereira Lima
Sandro Cardoso vs. Vitor Pereira
Eri Franco vs. Mauricio Reis
Diogo Osama vs. Alan Quirino

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UFC to Announce Return to Brazil Dec. 15

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta will make an announcement tomorrow on UFC.com from City Hall in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

The announcement is likely to contain information about the promotion's imminent return to Brazil in 2011. Sherdog reported last month that the UFC might return to Brazil for the first time in more than a decade as soon as August. The rumored venue for the to-be-announced event is the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro. Tomorrow's gathering will air live on UFC.com at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.

White and Fertitta first visited Brazil in October to begin negotiations for the event, holding two reported meetings during their stay. The first meeting was with Mayor Eduardo Paes; the second was with an assistant of Eike Batista, whom Forbes Magazine ranked the eighth-richest man in the world.

White and Fertitta have brought with them several special guests for tomorrow's announcement, including Brazilian UFC champions Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Former light heavyweight titleholder Vitor Belfort will also be present, as will UFC hall of famer Royce Gracie. Mayor Paes will also make an appearance.

The UFC's last Brazilian event was UFC 17.5 in 1998, which was highlighted by Belfort's thrilling, 44-second knockout of Wanderlei Silva.

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The UFC Returns to Brazil on Aug. 27

UFC Event Saturday, August 27 live from HSBC Arena; Tickets Go on Sale in May

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – It started in academies, gyms and even in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. “Vale Tudo” or “anything goes” fights pitted modern-day gladiators of various fighting styles against each other for bragging rights and to prove which academy was the best. It was exciting, it was beautiful, it was – the birth of the sport of mixed martial arts.

Now two decades, rule changes and improvements later and after its explosion on American soil with The Ultimate Fighting Championship® leading the charge, Brazil’s gift to the rest of the world is making its way back to the cradle of MMA. Backed by the extensive lineage of proud Brazilian UFC® fighters, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is pleased to announce it will return to Brazil for the first time since 1998.

UFC owners Frank Fertitta, III, Lorenzo J. Fertitta, and Dana White announced today that the same Brazilian city that will be home to the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Rio de Janeiro, will also be home to an international UFC event at the HSBC Arena on Saturday, August, 27, 2011.

“We couldn’t wait to host our first-ever UFC event in Brazil’s biggest city,” said White. “Brazilians have given so much to the growth of this sport. I’m excited that we can give back to the country that has given us so many great fighters. From Royce Gracie and Vitor Belfort to “Shogun” Rua, Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo, these fighters are all champions and are so proud of their roots. It’s time for us to bring a live UFC event here and show the people of Brazil how much this sport has grown.”

“This is another giant step forward in our global expansion and in growing UFC into the biggest sport in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta. “By bringing world-class fights back to Brazil, we not only secure a foothold in a major international market but we also give back to the people who have supported UFC for nearly 20 years.”

The Fertittas and White delivered today’s announcement live at 2:30 p.m. local time in a press conference held at Palacio de Cidade, the official residence of Honorable Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Antonio Pedro Figueira de Mello, President of Riotur attended and spoke at the event, along with UFC Hall of Famer and first-ever UFC Champion Royce Gracie, former Light Heavyweight UFC Champion Vitor Belfort and current UFC champions Anderson “The Spider” Silva (185lb/Middleweight), Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (205 lb/Light Heavyweight) and Jose Aldo (145lb/Featherweight).
The original UFC champion, Royce Gracie brought his family’s style of jiu-jitsu to the states in the early 90s and it has never left. A revolutionary fighter, the Rio de Janeiro native changed the way the game was played and stressed the importance for mixed martial artists to learn the ground game. Gracie earned four victories in one night at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship and is a UFC Hall-of-Famer.

Arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has gone from his Brazilian city of Curitiba to international stardom. A true finisher, Silva has won a UFC record 12 fights inside the organization with 10 finishes. The long-reigning undisputed champion has held the middleweight title since October of 2006.

Another champion from the great city of Curitiba, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua currently holds the UFC’s light heavyweight title with his recent win over another acclaimed Brazilian, Lyoto Machida. The dynamic 29-year-old is world-renown for his devastating striking skills and his relentless attack.

A former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort is another on a long list of exciting Brazilian fighters. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt that is known for his superior boxing skills, the 33-year-old Rio de Janeiro native will look to earn the UFC middleweight title when he takes on Anderson Silva at UFC 126 in February.

A winner of 18 of his first 19 professional fights, Jose Aldo made history by becoming the first UFC featherweight champion in history. A native of Manaus, the 24-year-old Brazilian reminds many of a 145-pound Anderson Silva because of his vicious striking and strong ground game.

More information about the UFC Rio taking place Saturday, August 27, 2010 at HSBC Arena including main event matchup, undercard bouts and ticket sale dates and prices will be announced in the near future.

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UFC Eyes Possible August Return to Brazil

UFC President Dana White: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

After much speculation, it appears as though the UFC will return to Brazil for the first time in more than a decade, perhaps as soon as August at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Respected journalist Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos -- a columnist for O Globo, the second-largest newspaper in Brazil -- broke the news.

UFC officials initiated negotiations during an October visit for two meetings, the first with Mayor Eduardo Paes and the second with an assistant of Eike Batista, the richest businessman in Brazil. Ranked as the eighth-richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine, with an estimated net worth of $27 billion, Batista was instrumental in bringing the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President Dana White will reportedly return to the city on Dec. 14, along with four major Brazilian UFC stars, and could close the deal then.

Although he publicly stated that returning to Brazil was not a top priority -- efforts were focused on China and India -- it appears White altered his stance once the country was chosen as the host for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The promotion has not held an event inside Brazil since UFC 17.5, which was highlighted by Vitor Belfort’s 44-second knockout of Wanderlei Silva in 1998.

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Mineiros Top Paulistas, Prospect Silva Slips at Brazil Fight 3

Sunday, November 28, 2010
by Guilherme Pinheiro (gpinheiro@sherdog.com) Igor Fernandes destroys Marcelo Azevedo: Marcelo Alonso | Sherdog.com

Brazil Fight has quickly become the premier MMA event in the state of Minas Gerais. Saturday night, at the Chevrolet Hall in Belo Horizonte, the in-state fighters triumphed 4-1 over their Sao Paulo foes in a five-fight interstate series.

In the most shocking outcome of the Minas Gerais vs. Sao Paulo series -- and the only loss for the Mineiro side -- touted lightweight prospect Thiago Michel Pereira Silva lasted just 70 seconds against unheralded Alessandro Zoio.

Silva, who has been dubbed “The Anderson Silva of Belo Horizonte” for his prodigious striking, slipped while going for his first kick of the fight. Zoio followed him to ground, quickly getting his back. Zoio slowly put his hooks in, got the body triangle and finally submitted Silva with a rear-naked choke at just 1:10 in the first round.

“He might be the best 155-pound fighter in Brazil, but he slipped and I was able to finish him,” an elated Zoio said following the fight.

Alessandro Zoio pulled off the upset.

In the most controversial bout of the evening, local Joaquim "Mamute" Ferreira took an unpopular split decision over Edson "Conterraneo" Franca in a heavyweight contest.

After a competitive first round where “Mamute” -- the only man to ever defeat UFC title contender Junior dos Santos -- showed his grappling and “Conterraneo” showed his striking, the pair exhaustedly grappled for the following 10 minutes. Ferreira held top control in the second round, and Franca -- who daylights as a bricklayer -- forced Ferreira to turtle for the entire third round, bloodying his face with punches.

After the split decision in Ferreira’s favor was announced, Franca’s coach Miguel Repanas began arguing with crowd members, yelling that his fighter was robbed.

“He is a warrior and you are correct to support him,” Franca said, taking the house microphone and addressing the partisan crown. “The sport needs this.”

In lightweight action, Cesar "Gordim" Augusto earned a first-round stoppage over Udi Lima. “Gordim” was stuck in a deep armbar and looked to be on the verge of defeat. However, the hometown fighter was able to slam his way out of it and pounce on a disoriented Lima with punches to get the stoppage at 3:22 of the first round.

At 205 pounds, Cristiano "Titi" Lazzarini forced Walter Luis da Silva to quit in the second round. After spending almost the entire first round mounted on da Silva, “Titi” got another takedown in the second stanza. As soon as the fighters touched the ground, da Silva signaled to referee Marlon Sandro that he wanted out, giving Lazzarini the win at 4:05 in round two.

Edson Franca bloodied "Mamute,"
but couldn't get the decision win.Marcio Nunes came out throwing haymakers against Gustavo Franca. However, “Coelho” kept his composure, got a takedown, took Nunes’ back, and finished the fight with a rear-naked choke at 3:24 of the first round.

At Brazil Fight 2 in August, Igor “Chatubinha” Fernandes needed only 96 seconds to tap out Marcelo "Uirapuru" Azevedo with his trademark anaconda choke. In Saturday night’s finale, he needed just 18 seconds to knock him out.

Just seconds into the fight, Fernandes hit Azevedo with a humongous overhand right to the jaw, which put “Uirapuru” flat on the mat, clearly unconscious. Without breaking stride, Fernandes finished the job, dropping hammerfists on the unconscious Azevedo until referee Felipe Lima could intervene.

After the fight, a very emotional “Chatubinha” -- a popular fighting exponent of Rio’s favelas -- made a personal and political plea.

“I just want ask for peace in my community, Vila Cruzeiro,” said the teary-eyed fighter, calling for an end to the violence in one of the main battlegrounds of Rio de Janeiro’s ongoing outbreak of violence.

Cesar "Gordim" survived a nasty
armbar from Udi Lima.In a clash of 205-pound prospects, Natal native Ronny Markes halted Fernando Silva with strikes at 3:08 of the first round.

“Lageano” came out striking against his northeastern foe, but Markes surprised him by ending every exchange with a successful takedown. After Silva was able to get back up for a third time, Markes clipped him with a thunderous overhand right. Markes seized the opportunity and pounced on Lageano, finishing him with punches.

The win gets the 22-year-old Markes back in the win column, following his surprising first career loss on Oct. 7 to Paulo Rodrigues at Iron Man Championship 7.

Two-time Rio Heroes champion William Vianna won a razor-thin split decision over notorious local Mauricio Antonio "Faccao" Santos Jr., avenging his loss from Brazil Fight’s first edition this past March. The bout was mostly a bad display of poor striking, in which both fighters spent the contest hitting air. However, after 15 minutes, Vianna had landed the majority of hard blows, especially unchecked low kicks, and earned the split nod.

In Brazil Fight’s first-ever female fight, virtual unknown Juliana Carneiro earned split decision over Aline Serio in a lackluster affair. The two women spent the majority of the fight against the fence, with Serio stuffing Carneiro’s takedowns. However, Carneiro was able to land just enough offense with punches and knees to eke out the close decision.

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