Bráulio Estima celebrates victory over Jacaré in the ADCC 2011 supermatch. Photo: Dan Rod/GRACIEMAG.com.
ADCC 2011 super match-winning black belt Bráulio Estima has as his next challenge a UFC superstar, when he steps onto the mats at the inaugural World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, in Long Beach, California.
Recently inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in England, “Carcará” is hoping for a turbulence-free flight when he takes on Nick Diaz, a top contender in the UFC welterweight division. “I’m really stoked; it’s a match everyone will be watching, especially the MMA fans who don’t know who I am. This match will be a showcase for me, although the responsibility is all mine, I believe,” says the teacher on team Gracie Barra.
“Even though I’ve competed more in No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, I don’t expect an easy match. He’s got phenomenal endurance. I expect success in my mission, but I don’t expect an easy ride,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.
An easy ride is something Carcará hasn’t had since winning the supertitle in Nottingham at ADCC 2011. Having caught a virus that evolved into an infection, the black belt was stuck on ice following his super match, one of the highlights of the last ADCC. “I was on antibiotics for three months. After that I returned to training, focusing on MMA and in the gi as well, to not get rusty. But now everything’s okay, but I’ve got a full agenda,” he says with amusement.
“Over the last two months I’ve been through 12 countries and spent just four days at home. I’m working on a book, a DVD, teaching directly over the website, putting together the biggest championship in England, the BJJ British Open, and training for the match at the expo in Long Beach. I’m also opening a new Gracie Barra school, and I was invited to take part in a reality show for MTV in England; I start shooting this Monday [today],” he recounted.
Included in Estima’s plans is a stint living in the USA.
“Yes, I want to spend two months in Florida to train for my MMA debut. I also have my summer camp starting on the 23rd, not to mention seminars and training. It’ll be quite a load, but one I can handle,” he added.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruig9ke6Jyo
Bráulio seized the opportunity of the conversation to bring up the stellar competition form of his brother Victor Estima, runner-up in the middleweight division of the 2012 Pan, where he faced top-caliber competition like Kron Gracie. Victor only came up short against Claudio Calasans.
“Victor has always been a tough guy, but he didn’t compete all that much, so he’d strike out; that’s what happens. Now he’s getting some good competition experience and we’ve been training a lot of new things, studying a lot of positions specific to his body type. So he’s getting better with every day. Every week that we sit down for a talk he comes back ten times better for the next training session; it’s impressive. I know his game really well and I always look to show him some tricks, due to the fact that are games are so similar. He’s really talented, and he’s just getting started. He’ll be world champion several times over yet,” wagers the elder sibling.
Stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for first-hand news on the
World Jiu-Jitsu Expo in Long Beach.
