Photo: Personal Archive

Bibiano Fernandes, 41, has an appointment under One Championship for December 5. The bantamweight champion will be defending his belt against John Lineker, who has only fought three times in the organization, between 2019 and 2021. The announcement was made by One’s CEO, Chatri Sityodtong.

Throughout his career, which began in 2004, Bibiano has achieved 24 wins and suffered four losses. In One Championship, which has employed him since 2012, he has 11 wins and just one loss.

“I’m happy to be able to defend my belt again,” the Brazilian said in a recent interview. “I’ve been on this journey for a long time. I’m happy, healthy, well trained. I want to show younger people that with discipline and hard work, you can get to where you want. Bibiano is the result of a lot of effort, lots of faith and dedication.”

In his native state of Amazonas, where he was staying several days ago, Bibiano got in touch with his roots before returning to Canada to resume his training.

“I’m in Manaus to visit my family and friends and have contact with nature,” he said. “I always come to Brazil before I have an important appointment in my life. Out here, the other day, I did a lecture at a military school for more than 200 students, where I spoke about the importance of being confident, having discipline and courage.” He added: “I’m quite happy to be here.”

Bibiano also revealed that he’s not done evolving in Jiu-Jitsu, as was recently recognized by his teacher, Prof. Osvaldo Alves.

“I’ve received another degree on the black belt,” said Bibiano, who is a three-time BJJ world champion. “I’m happy to conquer another step in the black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, the sport that gave me everything I have. I lost my mom very early, and my dad had no means to raise us; I went to the interior of Amazonas, but if today I am someone, it was the sport that saved me and because I believed I could be someone.”

Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Yago Souza, 27, is back on the competition scene. After a long hiatus where he had to overcome injuries and make personal decisions, the black-belt started competing masterfully again in 2021, and has already racked up four gold medals, won at the Orleans Open, Orlando Open, Memphis Open and Houston Open – and, just this month, the IBJJF’s Orlando Summer Open.

“I was absent because of my period of adaptation to the U.S. and also the various injuries suffered, which was very difficult for me to adapt to,” he explained in a recent interview. “I also had a period of adaptation to the food and routine from here, which is all very different from what I used to have in Brazil. But now it’s all normal, and I know the path to achieving great titles again. I’m very happy about having won four straight opens, and now my goal is to sign up for the absolutes to test myself more, just like I did at the Memphis Open.”

A Pan and European champion in the black belt, Yago is thirsty to repeat the feats he accomplished in big events in 2016 and 2017, when he won most of the tournaments he took part in, notching wins against Otávio Sousa, Vitor Oliveira, Josh Hinger, Marcos Tinoco and AJ, for example.

“My biggest goal in 2021 is to keep myself competing and 100% healthy to reach the greatest version of myself in the big competitions and get a good result,” he said. “I’m practicing plenty of jiu-jitsu and lifting weights to strengthen my body, all done truly with great care. I train five times a week. I’m happy with the moment I’m living.”

Yago likes fighting on top and on the bottom, which often greatly hinders the strategies of opponents, who don’t know where to attack during the fight.

“I’ve always liked being versatile,” he said. “I’ve always tried to learn about everything and never limit myself to just one type of technique. My biggest goal in jiu-jitsu is to reach a high technical level. I really like working with the basics, because I see that the basics are getting lost as the years go by. People want to skip the basics and learn complicated things; that’s why I insist on the basics. The basics are the base for everything.”

Yago has gold medals from the World Championship and Brazilian Nationals, events also held by the IBJJF.