And “Monster” from the Brazilian state of Ceará plans to be on par with the man he is substituting, to remain in the UFC ranks. The talented black belt (this year he captured titles at the IBJJF Rio Open, as well as a berth at the Abu Dhabi WPJJ) traveled from Fortaleza to Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday to intensify his training.

At Nova União headquarters, in the Flamengo neighborhood in Rio, Caio will be brushing up on his Thai boxing and tactics alongside José Aldo, Coach André Pederneiras and the rest of the rugged crew on the team. GRACIEMAG.com caught up with Magalhães at his last training session in Fortaleza, where Caio showed signs of being ready both standing and on the ground, even with Maldonado having some of the heaviest hands in the UFC. What do you think, dear reader, who takes it?

UFC 142

HSBC Arena, Barra, Rio de Janeiro

January 14, 2012

José Aldo vs Chad Mendes

Vitor Belfort vs Anthony Johnson

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares vs Mike Massenzio

Erick Silva vs Carlos Prater

Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim

Thiago Tavares vs Sam Stout

Mike Pyle vs Ricardo Funch

Yuri “Marajó” Alcântara vs Michirio Omigawa

Fabio Maldonado vs Caio Magalhães

Ednaldo “Lula” Oliveira vs Gabriel Napão

Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes vs Antônio Carvalho

E o “Monstro” cearense quer ser um substituto à altura, para não sair mais do UFC. Faixa-preta talentoso (este ano beliscou o título do Rio Open, da IBJJF, e a vaga para o WPJJ de Abu Dhabi), Caio viaja nesta terça-feira de Fortaleza para o Rio para intensificar os treinos.

Vai afiar o muay thai e sua tática para a luta ao lado de  José Aldo, André Pederneiras e toda a cúpula da Nova União, no bairro do Flamengo. O GRACIEMAG.com esteve com a fera no Ceará e testemunhou seu último treino por lá, onde Caio deu sinais de que está pronto em pé ou no chão, mesmo sendo Maldonado uma das mãos mais pesadas do UFC. E para você leitor, quem leva?

UFC 142

HSBC Arena, Barra, Rio de Janeiro

14 de janeiro de 2012

José Aldo vs Chad Mendes

Vitor Belfort vs Anthony Johnson

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares vs Mike Massenzio

Erick Silva vs Carlos Prater

Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim

Thiago Tavares vs Sam Stout

Mike Pyle vs Ricardo Funch

Yuri “Marajó” Alcântara vs Michirio Omigawa

Fabio Maldonado vs Caio Magalhães

Ednaldo “Lula” Oliveira vs Gabriel Napão

Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes vs Antônio Carvalho

Ivaniel in photo by Arhtur Castro

The winner of this year’s Rio Open, Ivaniel Oliveira is all set to take on the Miami International Open this coming October 22.

“I’m well prepared for this fight marathon. I’d like to thank Cristian and Ângelo Carioca, Master Cesar Guimarães and Leonardo Ligeirinho for all the support,” says roosterweight known for giving current world champion Bruno Malfacine a run for his money when they meet.

This year mark’s the third year of the Miami Open’s existence; sign-ups go to October 15. Find out more by clicking here.

Ivaniel em foto de Arhtur Castro.

Campeão do Rio Open neste ano, Ivaniel Oliveira parte rumo ao Miami International Open, evento da IBJJF que acontece no dia 22 de outubro.

“Estou bem para essa maratona de lutas. Agradeço aos mestres Cristiano e Ângelo carioca, ao mestre Cesar Guimarães e ao Leonardo ligeirinho por todo o apoio”, comenta o peso galo, que já travou duras batalhas contra o atual campeão mundial Bruno Malfacine.

Esta vai ser a terceira edição do Miami Open e as inscrições vão até o dia 15 de outubro. Para saber mais, clique aqui.

Caio Magalhães in action / Photo: Carlos Ozório

Undefeated in MMA, black belt Caio Magalhães is also one of the main forces in the Northeast Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu scene. After some time away, the SAS JJ rep made his competition return by taking gold at the Rio Open and followed up by securing his spot at the 2012 World Pro, winning the tryouts for the event in Natal, Brazil.

“It was the first time that I participate in a World Pro tryout, and it was awesome. The fact that it was in the Northeast, where I’m from, was great; I got to feel the crowd’s excitement.”

Check out what he had to tell GRACIEMAG.com:

How are you going about dividing your time between Jiu-Jitsu and MMA?

I have the Amazon Fight belt to defend in November. That’s why I’m going to have to lay off training in the gi for a while, but later I’ll get back to it full time for Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.

And why did you decide to return to competing in the gi?

I spent two years away because of MMA and came back this season. I decided I wanted to focus on gi competition as well. I saw a lot of my friends competing and winning – guys I’d already faced as a brown belt –, so I thought I could win, too. This year I also competed at the Rio Open and won, and now I had five matches and won the tryouts.

For some years now the folks iin the Northeast have been having a hard time winning major Jiu-Jitsu events. Has that changed now?

These days things are easier in Brazil. Getting plane tickets is easier, and companies are supporting athletes. It’s not ideal yet but it has improved a lot, mainly for higher-ranked athletes with more experience. That’s helping to make Jiu-Jitsu globalized in the sense that everyone is on even terms. At any high-level championship these days the level is way up there, with fighters from all over Brazil.

Caio Magalhães em ação. Foto: Carlos Ozório.

Invicto no MMA, o faixa-preta Caio Magalhães também é uma das maiores feras do Nordeste do Brasil no Jiu-Jitsu. Após um tempo afastado, Caio voltou às competições. Depois de faturar o ouro no Rio Open, o lutador da Sas JJ garantiu vaga no World Pro 2012, campeão da Seletiva em Natal.

“É a primeira vez que participei da Seletiva para o World Pro e me amarrei no campeonato. O fato de ser no Nordeste, a minha região, fez sentir um calor diferente da torcida. Empolgou bastante.”

Confira o bate-papo com o GRACIEMAG.com:

Com está se dividindo entre o Jiu-Jitsu e o MMA?

Tenho o cinturão para defender no Amazon Fight, em novembro. Por isso, agora vou ter que dar uma diminuída no pano, mas depois retorno com força para os campeonatos de Jiu-Jitsu.

E por que resolveu voltar às competições de pano?

Fiquei dois anos afastado, por causa do MMA, e voltei nesta temporada. Decidi que queria me focar no pano também. Vi muitos amigos que lutei sendo campeões. Uma galera que já enfrentei na faixa-roxa e marrom. Então pensei que dava para eu ser campeão também. Neste ano lutei também o Rio Open, e venci, e agora foram cinco lutas para vencer a seletiva.

Há alguns anos o pessoal do Nordeste tinha muita dificuldade de participar dos grandes eventos de Jiu-Jitsu, isso mudou?

Hoje é mais fácil, no Brasil, comprar passagens aéreas e as empresas apóiam melhor os atletas. Ainda não é o ideal, mas melhorou bastante, principalmente para os atletas mais graduados, com mais experiência. Isso está ajudando na globalização do Jiu-Jitsu no sentido de todos estarem parelhos. Em qualquer campeonato o nível está lá em cima e aparecem bons lutadores de todos os cantos do Brasil.

Ricardo Evangelista against Leandro Lo in the Rio Open semifinal / Photo: Gustavo Aragão

Thanks to Brazilian television’s “Sensei Sportv” show, you can check out all the best from the Rio Open and International Masters, the IBJJF events held concomitantly in Rio de Janeiro in late June. If you missed it or want to watch it again, click here.

Ricardo Evangelista contra Leandro Lo na semifinal do aberto do Rio Open. Foto: Gustavo Aragão.

Graças ao programa “Sensei Sportv”, você pode conferir o estilo dos melhores lutadores do Rio Open e do Internacional de Masters, evento da IBJJF que agitou a Cidade Maravilhosa no fim de julho. Se você perdeu ou quer rever, clique aqui.

Torregrosa sinks the triangle in Rio

Last week when GRACIEMAG.com posted about our GMA members that excelled at the Rio Open international and the International Master & Seniors, in Rio de Janeiro, we thought we had covered all our associates.

We were wrong.

The leader of Capital City BJJ, in Sacramento, CA, gave us the heads up on Facebook.

Marcos Torregrosa won the lightweight master black belt division at the Master & Senior.

He tells us how things went: “I had 5 matches to win the International Master & Seniors. I returned the next day for the Rio Open and stopped to an adversary in the quarter finals. Need more training and promise myself to work even harder to get that gold.”

For more info, go to capitalcitybjj.com

Young Nivaldo Oliveira (CheckMat) is one of the best Jiu-Jitsu competitors in Brazil today, and even so he doesn’t have a single big sponsor. Two indicators that companies are missing a grand opportunity with him:

1) Nivaldo won the heavyweight division at the Rio Open, a division where absolute runner-up Igor Silva, who has been on a tear, only managed to get bronze.

2) Nivaldo made it to the final with his teammate Robert Fonseca, who had eliminated Igor Silva. And the two didn’t just leave it at that; rather than simply “close out”, they treated the public to a Jiu-Jitsu spectacle.

Nivaldo further elaborates:

“So I had three matches. The first I won by armbar, after sinking a triangle, and in the second I made it past Nova União’s Nilson Ricardo. We drew 3-3 on advantage points,” he begins.

“The final was against my teammate Robert, and it was even harder because I’m not really a heavyweight. I’m a medium heavyweight; I fought at heavy because I had an injured elbow that prevented me from losing weight…” said Nivaldo, who fought Robert to a tie and took the judges’ decision.

On the lack of support, he’s serene: “It’s a problem quite common with athletes, this lack of interest from business people, but I’m in the battle. I’ve been amassing great results without a sponsor, so imagine if I had such backing. But I have great support from my family, especially my mother, who always supported me. I dedicate this win to her,” he said in finishing, now getting ready for the No-Gi Worlds, the No-Gi Brazilian Nationals and the South American Championship, in Santa Catarina.

The match between friends at Rio Open / Photo: personal archive

O jovem Nivaldo Oliveira (CheckMat) é um dos melhores lutadores do Brasil hoje, e mesmo assim ainda não tem um grande patrocinador. Dois indícios de que as empresas estão perdendo uma oportunidade com ele:

1) Nivaldo foi o campeão peso pesado no Rio Open, numa categoria em que o vice absoluto, Igor Silva, que vem embalado, ficou apenas com o bronze.

2) Nivaldo chegou à final com o parceiro de equipes Robert Fonseca, que eliminara Igor Silva. Os dois então não se fizeram de rogado, e em vez de “fechar” simplesmente, brindaram o público com um confere entre os dois.

Conta mais, Nivaldo:

“Pois é, eu fiz três lutas, na primeira finalizei no braço, após aplicar o triângulo, e na segunda passei pelo Nilson Ricardo, da Nova União. Empatamos nas vantagens, 3 a 3”, começa ele.

“A grande final foi contra um companheiro de equipe, o Robert, e foi ainda mais dura porque na realidade eu nem sou da categoria pesado, né. Sou meio-pesado, lutei lá por causa de uma contusão no joelho, devido a ela não tive como perder peso…”, diz ele, que empatou com Robert e levou na decisão dos juízes.

Sobre a falta de apoio, ele é sereno: “É um problema muito comum entre atletas, falta interesse dos empresários, mas estou na batalha. Estou colecionando resultados muito bons sem patrocínio, então imagina se eu tivesse suporte, né. Mas tenho muito apoio da minha família, especialmente da minha mãe, que sempre me apoiou. Esta vitória dedico a ela”, conclui ele, que agora vai com tudo para o Mundial Sem Kimono, o Brasileiro Sem Kimono e o Sul-Americano, em Santa Catarina.

A luta entre os dois amigos na final do Rio Open. Foto: Acervo Pessoal.

Ricardo Evangelista against Leandro Lo in open weight semifinal at Rio Open / Photo: Gustavo Aragão

Ricardo Evangelista was stoked after winning the absolute division at the Rio Open

last Saturday, when he closed out with training partner Igor Silva. The fact he was unable to win his weight group (Caio Magalhães took the gold) didn’t matter much, if just because Ricardo fought with an injured shoulder.

“My left shoulder was injured and I overcame it. I lost at weight but because my opponent deserved it,” said the current Brazilian national champion.

“The good phase I’m going through comes down to hard training,” he begins. “The Brazilian national title motivated me even more for the rest of the season. I needed a gold medal from a major event, and my self-confidence improved. Training with Master Julio Cesar, my physical conditioning coach, André Ferreira, and the guys at GFTeam did the rest. I started believing I have what it takes to beat anybody,” he explains. (Watch the semifinal against Leandro Lo below.)

“The team affirmed its potential and won the Rio Open overall; the difference there was that we have top-notch training partners at all weights and belts. It’s a privilege to be able to train with Rodolfo Vieira, the best there is right now, and Igor Silva, Arthur Gogó, Renato Fraga, Theodoro Canal, Denilson Pimenta, Vinícius Marinho, Jake Mackenzie, Morcego…” he details.

“Now I have to take care of my injured shoulder and get back to training as quickly as possible. I want to keep my focus, compete at the Brazilian team nationals and next year be at the Worlds – this year I didn’t have the means to make it there, but next time I’ll be there,” says Ricardo, who open to teaching seminars (interested parties can contact him at evangelistajj@hotmail.com).