The 23-year-old fighter competed in an event called Nordeste MMA (Northeast MMA) in Salvador, Brasil.

The cage was built inside an academy. There were no show lights, no celebrity ring girl, no Bruce Buffer.

But that’s generally how an MMA athlete in Brazil begins his journey towards the sport’s ultimate goal, which is to fight (and become a champion) in the UFC.

Watch Cara de Sapato win by submission and see if he has what it takes to make it all the way.

And see if you can spot a former UFC champion in Cara de Sapato’s team.

Those who come to town see images like this, which create an atmosphere that only the most passionate about mixed martial arts know:

Entrance of the MGM Grand Casino. Everyone stops to take a photo at the famous lion.

Cut-outs of Antonio Bigfoot are all around the MGM Grand Casino.

Bigfoot and Cigano are already at the MGM Grand Casino and can be seen in the hotel hallways.

And for the clash of the giants at the hotel.

UFC 160
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas (USA)
May 25, 2013

Cain Velásquez vs Antonio Silva
Junior Cigano vs Mark Hunt
Glover Teixeira vs James Te Huna
Gray Maynard vs TJ Grant
Donald Cerrone vs KJ Noons

Preliminary Card

Rick Story vs Mike Pyle
Dennis Bermudez vs Max Holloway
Colton Smith vs Robert Whittaker
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Abel Trujillo
Stephen Thompson vs Nah-Shon Burrell
Brian Bowles vs George Roop
Jeremy Stephens vs Estevan Payan

Cigano, Minotauro and crew's training.

If there is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt capable of teaching secrets to champion Anderson Silva and challenger Demian Maia at the same time, and no one gets bothered by it, it’s Alvaro Romano.

Only in a training session guided by the master of physical conditioning and warm-up can one see so many stars from different backgrounds and academies training together.

Alvinho among the beasts. Can you identify all the athletes in the photo?

The reason for all this is the Ginástica Natural and work methods of Romano, whose column in GRACIEMAG is a smashing success these days. Here, we offer a classic video for readers to learn from him and the magazine.

Morango, Junior, Minotouro and Alvinho Romano in Las Vegas. Photo: Publicity.

To steal the show from Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin was already no easy task. Much less so is beating Luiz “Banha” Cane.

Therefore, Rogerio Nogueira had to bring in the big guns – on earth, in water and air – for his UFC debut, on November 21, at the 106th installment of the American event, to take place in Las Vegas.

Under the command of Alvaro Romano, GRACIEMAG columnist, Rogerio and Fabricio Morango – who debuts on the same night, against Caol Uno –, accompanied by Junior Cigano, have been doing Natural Gymnastics-based work to gain not just wind, but strength and explosion, in the pool.

Rogerio does abdominal exercises, while Morango waits his turn. Photo: Publicity.

On Saturday, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin headline the card – in a rematch requested in 2006, after Tito overcame Griffin by split decision at the 59th event, in April of that year.

The bout between Ortiz and Griffin substituted the heavyweight-title fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, which has been put off indefinitely due to Lesnar’s recent health problems.

Minotouro’s opponent, Banha, 28, is riding a three-fight winning streak – two by technical knockout and the latest against Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision – into the bout.

The event also features an all-wrestler matchup in Josh Koshcheck and Anthony Johnson, in one of the most intriguing under 77kg bouts of 2009.

Check out the card for the event:

UFC 106
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
November 21, 2009

Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin
Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson
Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni
Luiz Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Ben Saunders vs. Marcus Davis
Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann
Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt
Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster
Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes
George Sotiropoulos vs. Jason Dent