Lloyd Irvin on stage during the MMA Revolution 5.0 event, where teachers become students. Photo by Luca Atalla

It’s 10:45, Saturday morning. Lloyd Irvin is on stage talking about, guess what, marketing. This time on how to drive the new student to the class you want him to be placed on and the success ladder he will be subject to. The conference room at Renaissance Hotel at Sea World, Orlando is organized into three rows of chairs; the first, on the left, has 57 people seated, 129 in the middle, 56 on the right.

Hidden in the audience there’s one of the protagonists of the UFC fight of the night last week, his face still testament to how tough and bloody a fight it was. There’s also the second American ever to become Jiu-Jitsu World Champion as a black belt. One MMA veteran in a back seat has a record of over 115 matches. And another fighter, a Brazilian and IBJJF hall of famer, owns eight world titles. But they and the other 238 people, among them other prestigious martial artists, are all silent. Their position here takes them back to their first movements on the mats, as students.

We are at the beginning of the third day of the MMA Revolution 5.0 event, and most of these people have already spent serious money in products to improve theirs schools. But that was clear from day one.

“Who’s new here?” asked Irvin, during the introductory speech. Roughly forty percent of the crowd stood up. “Whoever has a $20 bill in their wallet, could you please bring it to me?” he continued. A line took shape, and for the next minute or so, he traded each $20 bill for a $100 bill. Then Irvin explained that yes, he will make money in exchange for knowledge during the next days. But he boldly claims that each dollar spent will multiply several times.

Full house to listen to Lloyd’s techniques—Photo by Ivan Trindade

So a couple days passed by and courses about sales, pay-per-click ads, children and after-school programs, social media etc. were taught, and innovations on how to implement different, crazy types of technology were shown. During a sales presentation run by Marcos Avellan, a group of 47 owners who already bought the course stood up saying the program drove over 50,000 extra dollars since their staff began to use it. A few kept standing when the mark reached $100,000. And the line of them willing to walk to the microphone to issue spontaneous testimonials was getting to the size of one of the Disney attractions at the nearby Magic Kingdom amusement park.

At this point, even after the aforementioned sales example but not being here to hear all these testimonials I’ve heard thus far, you may be asking: “Will the Jiu-Jitsu and MMA schools with representatives in attendance capitalize on all the knowledge shared over the long weekend?” I’m sure the majority will. Just like I make sure to pay for my physical conditioning classes to make sure I will actually attend them, these school owners, many of them disciplined enough to become multiple-time champions in their styles, value their money spent and I bet they are now eager to get it back. Multiple times.

Rousimar Toquinho and his broken foot / Personal archive photo

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares’ encounter with Cuban-Australian judoka Hector Lombard at UFC on FX 6 last Saturday didn’t end well for him. Besides taking a serious thumping, he had to go straight from Australia’s Gold Coast Convention Centre to the hospital, where a ligament tear to his right foot and some broken bones were diagnosed.

“During the fight I was landing some kicks, but on my fourth kick I hit Lombard’s shin right under the knee,” Palhares said through a press release. “When I heard the crack I knew something was wrong. From that point on, my foot got more and more numb and I had trouble moving around the octagon. It was a complicated situation. I went through something similar when I broke my hand fighting Jeremy Horn.”

The Brazilian went to the hospital accompanied by his crew, including his trainer Murilo Bustamante, head trainer at Brazilian Top Team, who sent out thanks to the UFC for the support.

“In this sport, athletes are going through adverse situations all the time,” Bustamante said in the release. “Now what Rousimar needs to focus on is taking care of his injury. What’s done is done. He’s a great athlete and will get back on his feet. The whole UFC team did an amazing job, starting with their first response while in the arena. The local hospital staff was also really quick in getting all the imaging exams ‘Toquinho’ needed, and that helped us get started with treatment right away. His right foot is still really swollen. We still don’t have a forecast as to when he’ll be able to get back to training.”

The date for Palhares’ return to Brazil has not yet been defined. He will only be able to travel once released by doctors. Another clinical evaluation will be carried out later this week.

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Rousimar Toquinho com o pé quebrado. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

O confronto diante do cubano Hector Lombard no UFC on FX 6, realizado na Austrália, na última sexta-feira, não acabou bem para o brasileiro Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares. Além de ser derrotado pelo adversário, ele teve que sair do Gold Coast Convention Centre direto para o hospital, onde foi comprovada uma séria lesão no ligamento do pé direito, além da quebra de alguns ossos.

“Durante a luta meu chute estava encaixando. Mas logo no meu quarto chute atingi a canela do Lombard bem abaixo do joelho dele. Na hora escutei um estalo e sabia que tinha acontecido algum problema. Desse momento em diante fui sentindo o meu pé cada vez mais dormente e sem força até para andar pelo octógono. Foi uma situação bem complicada. Já passei por algo semelhante na luta contra o Jeremy Horn quando quebrei a mão durante o combate”, explicou Toquinho.

O lutador brasileiro foi ao hospital acompanhado pelo seu staff. Entre eles estava seu treinador, o mestre Murilo Bustamente, chefe da Brazilian Top Team. Ele agradeceu ao apoio do UFC e fez questão de elevar a moral de seu atleta e apontar os caminhos para o Toco se reerguer.

“Esse é um esporte que a todo momento o atleta tem que passar por cima de adversidades, seja na parte técnica, mental ou física. Agora o Rousimar tem que pensar em cuidar da lesão. O que passou, passou. Ele é um grande atleta e vai dar a volta por cima. Toda a equipe do UFC fez um bom trabalho desde o primeiro atendimento médico ainda no local da luta. A equipe do hospital local também fez rapidamente todos os exames de imagem necessários no Toquinho e com isso já começamos imediatamente o tratamento. O pé direito dele continua muito inchado. Ainda não temos previsão de quando ele poderá voltar a treinar”, afirmou Murilo.

O retorno de Rousimar Palhares para o Brasil está indefinido. Ele só poderá embarcar após liberação médica. Uma nova avaliação clínica será realizada ainda nesta semana.

Vitor Belfort against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142. This time, the octagon will get set up in Rio State’s neighbor to the south. UFC publicity photo.

For the first time in 15 years, the UFC will again set up shop in “The Land of Drizzle”. The next Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Brazil has now been confirmed to take place January 19, 2013, in São Paulo City’s Ibirapuera Gynasium.

Headlined by a middleweight main event pitting Vitor Belfort against Michael Bisping, the show will also feature noteworthy match-ups between Daniel Sarafian and CB Dollaway, and Thiago Tavares against undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Also on the card: Edson Barboza, Godofredo Pepey, Miltinho Vieira, Ronny Markes, Diego Nunes, Michael Kuiper, Thiago Bodão, Francisco Massaranduba and others.

The last time São Paulo was graced with the most widely recognized cage in MMA was in 1998. On the occasion, Portuguesa Gymnasium hosted the unforgettable clash of Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. Also fighting the card for the show, dubbed UFC 17.5, were Pedro Rizzo, Frank Shamrock, Tank Abbott, Ebenezer Braga, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Pete Williams and others.

Check out the card for the next UFC in “Sampa”:

UFC São Paulo
Ibirapuera Gymnasium, São Paulo, Brazil
January 19, 2012

Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
CB Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian
Ben Rothwell vs. Gabriel Napão
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Thiago Tavares
Godofredo Pepey vs. Miltinho Vieira
Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes
Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes
Justin Salas vs. Edson Barboza
Michael Kuiper vs. Thiago Bodão
George Roop vs. Iuri Marajó
Roger Hollett vs. Wagner Caldeirão
CJ Keith vs. Francisco Massaranduba

Vitor Belfort contra Anthony Johnson no UFC 142, no Rio. O Octagon pega agora a ponte aérea. Foto:UFC/Divulgação

Após 15 anos, o UFC vai aterrissar novamente na Terra da Garoa. A próxima edição do Ultimate em solo brasileiro está confirmada para o ginásio do Ibirapuera, em São Paulo, no dia 19 de janeiro de 2013.

Como grande atrativo, o evento principal será a luta entre os pesos médios Vitor Belfort e o inglês Michael Bisping. Nos outros combates, destaque para a estréia de Daniel Sarafian contra CB Dollaway e Thiago Tavares contra o russo invicto Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Também estão no card feras como Edson Barboza, Godofredo Pepey, Miltinho Vieira, Ronny Markes, Diego Nunes, Michael Kuiper, Thiago Bodão e Francisco Massaranduba, entre outros.

A última vez que São Paulo recebeu a gaiola mais famosa do MMA foi em 1998. Na ocasião, o ginásio da Portuguesa foi o palco do inesquecível duelo entre Belfort e Wanderlei Silva. Participaram ainda do show, nomeado UFC 17.5, os notórios Pedro Rizzo, Frank Shamrock, Tank Abbott, Ebenezer Braga, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn e Pete Williams, entre outros.

Confira como está o card do UFC de Sampa:

UFC São Paulo
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, SP
19 de janeiro de 2012

Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping
CB Dollaway vs Daniel Sarafian
Ben Rothwell vs Gabriel Napão
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Thiago Tavares
Godofredo Pepey vs Miltinho Vieira
Andrew Craig vs Ronny Markes
Nik Lentz vs Diego Nunes
Justin Salas vs Edson Barboza
Michael Kuiper vs Thiago Bodão
George Roop vs Iuri Marajó
Roger Hollett vs Wagner Caldeirão
CJ Keith vs Francisco Massaranduba

Aoki following a finish in Japan / Photo: FEG

Could Shinya Aoki one day retire as the most effective Jiu-Jitsu black belt in MMA?

When it comes down to numbers, at least, the day is approaching for the Japanese fighter.

A shoo-in for the great finisher’s hall of fame, the USA’s Jeremy Horn, 35, isn’t one to sweat up a gi, but at the end of this month he’ll be gunning for Thales Leites in Sweden, looking for the 50th submission of his career. That’s right, Horn today holds 49 wins by way of locks or chokes – out of 112 fights, at just about every promotion out there.

Who’s next? Perhaps the still active Ken Shamrock, with 22 finishes at 47 years of age. But he isn’t a Jiu-Jitsu black belt either.

Then there’s Brazilian black belt Rodrigo Minotauro, 34, with 20 wins coming via Jiu-Jitsu holds. Kazushi Sakuraba has 19.

Aoki is already coming up on his compatriot’s personal best, almost at Minotauro’s too. At 27 years of age, the Yuki Nakai Jiu-Jitsu black belt notched his 17th submission win, over Lyle Beerbohm at last Saturday’s Strikeforce show.

Will the Brazilian heavyweight have it in him to return to the UFC and add some arms to his collection and put some distance between the two? Will Aoki find excitement in pushing past a myth like Sakuraba, or will he just shrug it off? And how does Horn do it, huh?

Leave your comments below, Jiu-Jitsu fans. But first, check out this gift of slick and efficient Jiu-Jitsu from Aoki.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj__2O_nkWQ

Aoki após finalizar no Japão. Foto: FEG.

Será Shinya Aoki capaz de se aposentar um dia como o faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu mais eficiente do MMA?

No campo frio dos números, ao menos, o japonês está se aproximando desse dia.

Nome certo da galeria dos grandes finalizadores, o americano Jeremy Horn, 35 anos, é pouco afeito ao kimono. No fim deste mês, vai buscar contra Thales Leites, na Suécia, sua 50ª finalização na carreira. Isso mesmo, Horn tem hoje 49 vitórias obtidas com chaves ou estrangulamentos – em 112 lutas, nas mais variadas organizações.

Quem vem depois? Talvez (o ainda ativo) Ken Shamrock, 47 anos e 22 finalizações. Mas que também não é faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu.

Surge então o brasileiro Rodrigo Minotauro, 34 anos, 20 vitórias decididas por golpes de Jiu-Jitsu. A seguir, aparece o japonês Kazushi Sakuraba, com 19 finalizações.

Pois Aoki já ameaça a marca do compatriota, e também está bem próximo dos números de Minotauro. Aos 27 anos, o faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu de Yuki Nakai alcançou, no Strikeforce do último sábado, contra Lyle Beerbohm, sua 17ª vitória no MMA por finalização.

Será o peso pesado baiano capaz de retornar no UFC e colecionar mais uns braços e equilibrar a parada? Será uma emoção a mais para Aoki superar um mito como Sakuraba, ou será que ele nem liga? E o Horn, que maluco, hein?

Você comenta, fã de Jiu-Jitsu, no espaço logo abaixo. Mas antes, um brinde ao Jiu-Jitsu plástico (e eficiente) de Aoki.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj__2O_nkWQ

He ended up taking it out on Jeremy Horn, and after this fight Anderson and world MMA would never again be the same.

Sobrou para Jeremy Horn, e depois desse lutão Anderson e mundo do MMA jamais seriam os mesmos.

Anderson "The Joker" Silva. Art by Victor Gruzman on photo by Gustavo Aragao

Anderson Silva and team wander the corridors of the Wachovia Center in South Philadelphia, after weigh-ins for UFC 101 – “Declaration”.

He catches sight of a large cardboard box and crouches in it. “Feijão, give me a push,” shouts the middleweight champion, who one day later would again venture into the light heavyweight division to face former champion of the weight class above his, Forrest Griffin. Trusty training partner Rafael Cavalcante joins the childish fun and takes Silva on a joyride in the makeshift go-cart.

It’s in this playful spirit that Anderson faces the trying career of a fighter, where athletes are always pumped full of adrenaline, mainly in the lead-up to a commitment in the ring.

And that is perhaps the main ingredient making the “Spider’s” performances so different. In the end, while a good part of the energy of his counterparts is spent in anticipation, Silva is able to relax not just before, but also during the fight, to the point of dropping his guard and exposing his face to let Griffin try his luck, as he would do the next day.

Photo: Josh Hedges

The gutsy former light heavyweight champion entered the octagon to sweat blood, but… “Why so Serious?” seemed to be the question being asked by the “Joker” before him, dancing ballet, gauging striking range, and landing blows with vehemence. Before his lights went out, 3:23min into the round, Forrest had already fallen twice. And when he finally got up, he was so disgusted he left for the dressing room running, without speaking a word to anybody, not appearing at the press conference.

“Welcome to Comcast Country,” the sign in the gymnasium would read, referring to the cable company based in the city. “Welcome to show business,” Silva seemed to say, marking with great technique and joy the UFC’s debut in the land of Rocky Balboa, “perhaps the greatest fight city in the United States,” in the words of UFC president Dana White.

The event on August 8 also had, to dispute with Anderson’s main event, the great performance of BJ Penn, who defended his lightweight belt against Kenny Florian, as well as intriguing bouts from Ricardo Cachorrao, who overcame Kendall Grove, Thales Leites, who suffered a contentious judges’ decision, Danillo Indio, who dominated his outing with Jesse Lennox, until a cut spelt his defeat, the example of Thales, his unhappy release from the greatest event in the world – at least for the time being.

But, once again, all that was very, very serious. And Anderson, besides being good, is a prankster. Dana White didn’t bat an eye and announced while still at the conference that besides the obvious knockout of the night award, Silva would take home the bonus for best fight. So something good did go Griffin’s way, as he too would take an extra 60,000 dollars for his part in the spectacle.

Packed and with Dana White mopping his brow throughout, to try in vain to escape the heat he was feeling, the press-conference was a long one. There sat winners BJ, Anderson, Cachorrao and Kurt Pellegrino, and not a single loser. The spots farthest in front were occupied by the big media: two seats for ESPN, four for Yahoo.com; AP, Canadian Press, Enquirer, Washington Times, Honolulu Advertiser, Las Vegas Review, Las Vegas Sun, Daily News. Specialized media en mass, and, from Brazil, NOCAUTE magazine.

Most of the questions were directed to the Brazilian, or were about the Brazilian. Anderson doesn’t speak English, but temperament has no tongue, and he was already joking with the  authors of the questions before they had even been translated. He pointed with a bottle of water, gesticulated, smiled. Until the comedic mood reached a climax when someone proposed the possibility of fighting Lyoto Machida.

“Look, I don’t care if they’re friends. This is like basketball, football. If a fight is interesting to the fans, I’ll make it happen,” spat Dana White. Anderson didn’t want to hear what his boss had said and gave his own response, shooting down Dana: “Look, we’re brothers, and this fight will never happen.” The laughter from the room only didn’t arise immediately because the words of the champion had to be put into English by interpreter and manager Ed Soares.

NOCAUTE chose to pose its question in private, when Anderson’s group was having dinner at a Brazilian barbecue place by the hotel, in the heart of Philadelphia:

“(Rafael) Feijão couldn’t have dragged you around in that cardboard any faster?”

“Yeah, he doesn’t know how to play!” replied Anderson, poking fun at his teammate.

Don’t be sad, Feijão. In this business, the guiding rule is to be serious.

UFC 101 – Declaration

Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

August 8, 2009
BJ Penn finalizou Kenny Florian via rear-naked choke at 3:54 min of R4
Anderson Silva knocked out Forrest Griffin at 3:23 min of R1
Johny Hendricks defeated Amir Sadollah via TKO at 0.29 min of R1
Ricardo Cachorrão defeated Kendall Grove via unanimous decision
Kurt Pellegrino defeated Josh Neer via unanimous decision
Aaron Riley defeated Shane Nelson via unanimous decision
Tamdan McCrory defeated John Howard via split decision
Alessio Sakara defeated Thales Leites via split decision
Matthew Riddle defeated Dan Cramer via unanimous decision
George Sotiropoulos submitted Rob Emerson via kimura at 1:59min of R2
Jesse Lennox defeated Danillo “Índio” Villefort via TKO at 3:37min of R3

It was the twilight of a striking era – the sport had just begun to be called MMA. But, on September 6, 2003, the last spotlights caught a memorable bout between two Brazilians, in the semifinal of the IFC Global event, held in Denver, Colorado.

Then Chute Boxe representative Mauricio “Shogun” Rua would overcome Erik Wanderley, while Renato “Babalu” moved past Trevor Prangley. The winner would beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision in the final. Check it out!