Jiu-Jitsu champ Ricardo Demente in Abu Dhabi / Photo: Luca Atalla
The MMA promotion Brazilian Fighting Championship sealed a partnership with Brazil’s Esporte Interativo channel to broadcast Desafio dos Imortais live on the newly formed channel.
BRFC Desafio dos Imortais on the coming 16th from Comercial Futebol Club stadium in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state, and Ricardo “Demente” Abreu will feature on the show, taking on Léo Rocha.
Besides the ones to air on the São Paulo-based channel, the rest of the card will be broadcast over Facebook.
With over 113 million viewers, Esporte Interativo was founded in 2007 and is the first with 100% sports-related channel in Brazil, and includes a mobile portal and internet outlet (www.esporteinterativo.com.br) where the channel’s programming can also be watched.
To José Sica Calixto, the head of Grupo BRFC, the partnership cements the professional character of the sport and the growing interest of fans, events, athletes and the market. “This attention given to MMA by the main media outlets show the strength, dynamism and infectiousness of the style, as it grows around the world and counts Brazilians as some of its biggest stars,” he says.
Besides Demente, the card boasts former UFC fighter Chris Wilson; the heavyweight Alexandre Zaneti, the winner of the first BRFC event, in Rio Preto; and the welterweight Cairo “Rêlampago” Rocha, one of the MMA revelations from smalltown Brazil.
BRFC – Desafio dos Importais
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
December 16, 2011
70kg: Thiago Barbosa (Veras Team) vs Rogério Samurai (Samurai Team)
70kg: Robinho (RMNU Team) vs Altinézio Mineiro (Gracie Barra Caveirinha)
77kg: Cairo Rocha (Comercial FC / ZFT / ENV) x Chicão Neves (Veras TK / Gracie Fusion)
93kg: Márcio “Monstro” (Memorial Arena) vs Rodrigo “Dragão” (Samurai Team)
93kg: Cássio “Jacaré” (Nova União) vs João Paulo “Paco” (Monster Team)
Cinto 93kg: Alexandre Zaneti (Comercial/ZFT/ENV) vs Valter Luis (VL Team)
84kg: Ricardo Abreu (Punishment/ENV/Acquaflora) vs Leo Rocha (Taquara Team)
70kg: Chris Wilson (Team Nogueira/RMNU/CFC) vs Tom Oliveira (Marcelo Nigue Team/Memorial Arena)
* Card subject to change
