Japanese martial arts promotion QUINTET has announced its official entry into the Middle East market, with its inaugural regional event, QUINTET 5, set to take place in Dubai on October 23, 2025.

The announcement came during a press conference held this week at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, as part of Fight Week — a major sporting initiative featuring international MMA events hosted in the UAE capital. The event was led by Kazushi Sakuraba, QUINTET’s legendary founder and one of the most iconic figures in Japanese MMA history, alongside Tarek Suleiman, QUINTET’s regional partner and veteran martial artist. Mr. Yanagisawa, General Manager of QUINTET Japan, also attended the announcement.

The event drew wide regional and international media coverage and was attended by prominent figures from the MMA community, including Ali Al Qaisi, one of the Arab world’s most accomplished featherweights, and internationally renowned referee Marc Goddard.

Known for its distinctive five-on-five team grappling format, QUINTET eliminates points and judges entirely — matches end in submission or draw. The format blends tactical team strategy with traditional martial arts spirit and has already gained significant traction in Japan and the United States.

“For Japanese martial artists, Abu Dhabi is a name we’ve always held in high regard,” said Sakuraba, who was met with applause as he addressed the crowd. “We watched from afar how the UAE embraced Jiu-Jitsu and elevated it into something bigger than just a sport — a cultural and national movement. To launch QUINTET here is not only symbolic, but meaningful. The people understand the art. The government supports it. And the athletes here live it.”

Suleiman, a former QUINTET competitor himself, emphasized the vision behind this move. “This isn’t just a one-off. We’re here to build something lasting,” he said. “The UAE has become a global destination for combat sports, and now it will be the home for team-based grappling in the region. Through QUINTET, we aim to provide athletes with a new platform — one that prioritizes cooperation, strategy, and team pride.”

QUINTET 5 in Dubai marks the start of a broader roadmap to establish a sustainable grappling ecosystem in the Middle East. Teams from across the MENA region are expected to participate in the October event, as organizers work toward building a long-term league and talent pipeline that aligns with the region’s growing combat sports ambitions.

Champions Dan Strauss, Marcin Held, Gregor Gracie, Craig Jones and Caol Uno.

UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba has innovated in the field of BJJ tournaments. Alongside UFC veteran Josh Barnett, he created Quintet Grappling, a no-gi promotion that debuted this Wednesday in Tokyo.

The rules are peculiar. Four teams of five face off in “king of the hill” fashion: the fighter who wins remains on the mat and awaits the next opponent from the enemy team. Teams were named Polaris, Sambo, Judo and Haleo. Fights were submission-only, with no points or advantages counted across the 10-minute duration.

In the semifinals, team Haleo faced and beat team Judo, while team Polaris defeated team Sambo. The favorite teams then met in the final, and the title was decided in the details.

First, Josh Barnett (Haleo) and Gregor Gracie (Polaris) tied. So Daisuke Nakamura (Haleo) and Dan Strauss (Polaris) went in to face each other. Strauss beat Nakamura and, after that, also beat Hideo Tokoro (Haleo). In the following match, Strauss tied with Sakuraba (Haleo). With both exiting, Brazil’s Marcos Souza (Haleo) stepped up to fight and beat Caol Uno (Polaris). It looked like team Haleo was about to turn the tables, but Craig Jones (Polaris) then submitted the Brazilian and secured the title.

Find the full line-up and results below.

Quintet 1
Tokyo, Japan
April 11th, 2018

Teams

(POLARIS)
Gregor Gracie
Craig Jones
Dan Strauss
Caol Uno
Marcin Held (Alternate for Charles Negromonte)

(HALEO DREAM TEAM)
Kazushi Sakuraba
Josh Barnett
Marcos Sousa
Hideo Tokoro
Daisuke Nakamura

(SAMBO DREAM TEAM)
Mindaugas Verzbickas
Sergej Grecicho
Viktor Tomasevic
Teodoras Aukstuolis
Marius Zaromski

(JUDO DREAM TEAM)
Michihiro Omigawa
Shutaro Debana
Hyung Ju Kim
Dong Sik Yoon
Satoshi Ishii

Semifinals

(HALEO vs JUDO)

Daisuke Nakamura tied with Michihiro Omigawa
Kazushi Sakuraba tied with Shutaro Debana
Hideo Tokoro def. Hyung Ju Kim
Dong Sik Yoon def. Hideo Tokoro
Marcos Souza def. Dong Sik Yoon
Marcos Souza tied with Satoshi Ishii

(POLARIS vs SAMBO)

Craig Jones def. Mindaugas Verzbickas
Craig Jones tied with Sergej Grecicho
Marcin Held def. Viktor Tomasevic
Marcin Held def. Teodoras Aukstuolis
Marcin Held tied with Marius Zaromskis

Final

(POLARIS vs HALEO)

Gregor Gracie tied with Josh Barnett
Dan Strauss def. Daisuke Nakamura
Dan Strauss def. Hideo Tokoro
Dan Strauss tied with Kazushi Sakuraba
Marcos Souza def. Caol Uno
Craig Jones def. Marcos Souza

Dan Strauss, Marcin Held, Gregor Gracie, Craig Jones e Caol Uno com o ouro do Quintet Grappling. Foto: Reprodução

Famoso atleta do Pride e membro do Hall da Fama do UFC, Kazushi Sakuraba inovou no conceito de torneio de Jiu-Jitsu. Juntamente com o veterano do UFC Josh Barnett, Saku criou o Quintet Grappling, evento de Jiu-Jitsu sem kimono realizado nesta quarta-feira, dia 11 de abril, em Tóquio, no Japão.

As regras do evento são bem peculiares. Quatro times de cinco atletas se enfrentam no estilo “rei da mesa”, quem vence seu duelo continua no tatame e aguarda o próximo adversário do time oponente. As equipes foram nomeadas como Polaris, Sambo, Judo e Haleo. Os duelos eram apenas valendo a finalização, sem pontos ou vantagens com tempo de 10 min.

Nas semifinais, o time Haleo enfrentou e venceu o time Judo, enquanto o time Polaris superou o time Sambo. As equipes favoritas então se encontraram na final, e o título foi definido nos detalhes.

Primeiro, Josh Barnett (Haleo) e Gregor Gracie (Polaris) empataram sem finalização ao fim do tempo. Assim, entraram para lutar Daisuke Nakamura (Haleo) e Dan Strauss (Polaris). Strauss superou Nakamura e, em seguida, bateu também Hideo Tokoro (Haleo). Na luta seguinte, Strauss acabou empatando com Sakuraba (Haleo). Com a saída dos dois, o faixa-preta brasileiro Marcos Souza (Haleo) entrou para encarar e superar Caol Uno (Polaris). Parecia ser o momento da virada para o time Haleo, mas o embalado Craig Jones (Polaris) tratou de finalizar o brasileiro e garantir o título para o time Polaris.

Confira abaixo os times completos e os resultados do Quintet 1!

Quintet 1
Tóquio, Japão
11 de abril de 2018

Equipes

(POLARIS)
Gregor Gracie
Craig Jones
Dan Strauss
Caol Uno
Marcin Held (Substituto de Charles Negromonte)

(HALEO DREAM TEAM)
Kazushi Sakuraba
Josh Barnett
Marcos Sousa
Hideo Tokoro
Daisuke Nakamura

(SAMBO DREAM TEAM)
Mindaugas Verzbickas
Sergej Grecicho
Viktor Tomasevic
Teodoras Aukstuolis
Marius Zaromski

(JUDO DREAM TEAM)
Michihiro Omigawa
Shutaro Debana
Hyung Ju Kim
Dong Sik Yoon
Satoshi Ishii

Semifinais

(HALEO x JUDO)

Daisuke Nakamura empatou com Michihiro Omigawa
Kazushi Sakuraba empatou com Shutaro Debana
Hideo Tokoro venceu Hyung Ju Kim
Dong Sik Yoon venceu Hideo Tokoro
Marcos Souza venceu Dong Sik Yoon
Marcos Souza empatou com Satoshi Ishii

(POLARIS x SAMBO)

Craig Jones venceu Mindaugas Verzbickas
Craig Jones empatou com Sergej Grecicho
Marcin Held venceu Viktor Tomasevic
Marcin Held venceuTeodoras Aukstuolis
Marcin Held empatou com Marius Zaromskis

Final

(POLARIS x HALEO)

Gregor Gracie empatou com Josh Barnett
Dan Strauss venceu Daisuke Nakamura
Dan Strauss venceu Hideo Tokoro
Dan Strauss empatou com Kazushi Sakuraba
Marcos Souza venceu Caol Uno
Craig Jones venceu Marcos Souza

Wand e Sakakibara, presidente do Rizin, confirmam o duelo do Cachorro Louco contra Sakuraba em abril. Foto: Divulgação

Depois de ser liberado pelo UFC e ter assinado com o Bellator, o caminho mais provável para o retorno de Wnaderlei Silva se confirmou. Após coletiva de imprensa, o presidente do Rizin FF, evento oriundo do Pride, anunciou que Wand está confirmado para encarar Kazushi Sakuraba em duelo de grappling.

O evento será o “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I”, a ser realizado em Nagoya, no Japão, no dia 17 de abril.. Wanderlei Silva fará um combate de “tag wrestling”, em regras a serem divulgadas em breve. O que se sabe é que será uma luta de duplas. Saku terá ao seu lado o japonês Hideo Tokoro, e o companheiro de Wand será anunciado futuramente.

Apesar de ser conhecido por sua trocação feroz, Wanderlei Silva, de 39 anos, é faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu, formado pelo professor e ex-UFC Cristiano Marcello, e tem em sua carreira uma finalização no mata-leão, em sua terceira luta pelo Pride. Muito famoso no Japão, Wand já havia sido especulado por Nobuyuki Sakakibara para integrar o plantel do Rizin, e seu contrato com o Bellator adiantou o processo. Wand também fará em eventos futuros uma luta de MMA, com data e adversário ainda a serem definidos.

E você, amigo leitor, o que acha do duelo entre os velhos rivais Wand e Sakuraba, em regras de luta agarrada. Será que Wanderlei consegue subjugar o japonês bom de chão? Comente conosco!

What was your favorite fight, dear reader?

Metamoris 5

Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, USA

November 22, 2014

Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba tied after 20 minutes
JT Torres and Rory MacDonald tied
Jake Shields and Roberto Satoshi tied (Secret Match)
Yuri Simões and Keenan Cornelius tied
Vinny Magalhaes and Matheus Diniz tied
Garry Tonon finished Zak Maxwell in the heel hook

JT Torres encara o frio Rory MacDonald, do UFC, no Metamoris. Foto: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

No próximo dia 22 de novembro, dois astros de modalidades diferentes vão duelar sem kimono, num disputa de 20 minutos, sem pontos e sem vantagens.

No Metamoris 5, em Long Beach, o americano Jonathan Torres vai representar a bandeira do Jiu-Jitsu contra o perigoso Rory MacDonald, astro do UFC que tem em sua carreira seis vitórias por finalização.

Em conversa com GRACIEMAG, o faixa-preta da Atos avaliou os perigos Rory pode oferecer na disputa sem o tradicional paletó.

“Acho que o maior perigo que Rory traz é a vantagem do seu tamanho. Ele deve pesar uns nove quilos a mais que eu. Rory será um adversário muito duro, é um atleta de alto nível e é um faixa-preta também. Estou me sentindo muito bem e um pouco ansioso; eu só quero lutar logo”, diz JT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ftj3CfI_wg

Rory é famoso por sua frieza, mas isso não abala JT, que pretende jogar em todas as áreas.

“Ele é frio e imprevisível, mas eu também posso ser imprevisível para desestabilizá-lo. Eu estou olhando para essa luta como se fosse qualquer outra. Meu camp tem sido muito duro, treinei forte em todas as posições, então estarei buscando a finalização tanto por cima quanto por baixo”, conta.

E para você, leitor, quem vence? JT ou Rory?

Metamoris 5
Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
22 de novembro de 2014

Renzo Gracie x Kazushi Sakuraba
JT x Rory MacDonald
Yuri Simões X Keenan Cornelius
Vinny Magalhães x Kevin Casey
Zak Maxwell x Garry Tonon
Luta secreta

The post Metamoris: JT explica como pretende finalizar astro do UFC Rory MacDonald first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/renzo-analyzes-rematch-with-sakuraba-and-explains-why-he-is-proud-of-his-defeat-to-the-rival/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=renzo-analyzes-rematch-with-sakuraba-and-explains-why-he-is-proud-of-his-defeat-to-the-rival Wed, 01 Oct 2014 22:16:37 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/?p=126686 Age means nothing to Renzo Gracie. “If you have 20 years old but stops training Jiu-Jitsu, it doesn’t work for you. However, if you train consistently you can go over 40 and still be in the best shape of your life, “says the Rio de Janeiro teacher living in New York. At 47, the black…

The post Renzo analyzes rematch with Sakuraba and explains why he is proud of his defeat to the rival first appeared on Graciemag.]]>

Sakuraba was able to submit Renzo in Japan, at Pride 10, in 2000. Photo: GRACIEMAG archives

Age means nothing to Renzo Gracie. “If you have 20 years old but stops training Jiu-Jitsu, it doesn’t work for you. However, if you train consistently you can go over 40 and still be in the best shape of your life, “says the Rio de Janeiro teacher living in New York.

At 47, the black belt has two up coming fights scheduled, one against Kazushi Sakuraba, 46, on Metamoris 5 and another vs. Matt Hughes, 40, in the 2015 ADCC. Nevertheless, he wants more: between Saku and Hughes, Renzo still wants to go at it twice in the UFC to prove his theory that he is at his technical peak.

While granting the interview to GRACIEMAG, and parked inside his car, Renzo saw a flustered American driver hit the back of his car. The Gracie was not irritated, nor went out to verify the damage; instead he let the guy pass by, apologize and leave. Should all this tranquility be a fruit of joy over his rematch with Sakuraba at Metamoris 5 in Long Beach? Find out here:

GRACIEMAG: Many fans see your No-Gi match at Metamoris 5, on November 22, as the perfect outcome of rivalry between Sakuraba and the Gracies. However, few people remember that the Japanese lost in 2010 to Ralek Gracie, who is the event organizer. For you, what is at stake?

Renzo Gracie: Yes, thanks to Ralek the family is ahead now. What I will achieve with this fight is a chance to get my hands on him again. As a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, I will be able to check if I have improved from that time forward, and see if he also has improved since then. Meeting again with a guy with whom you have fought and lost is a golden chance for you to assess this development. Thus, I could not say no when Ralek called offering me the fight. I signed the contract without even reading it.

Was it already the initial idea of the Metamoris organization to have you against Sakuraba?

Once Ralek began negotiating with Sakuraba, he called me. I embraced the idea and did not drop it anymore; I started training in the same day since I was busy as hell and was not training hard. So it was like that; Sakuraba has signed knowing he was fighting me. It will be a pleasure; I cannot wait.

What was the biggest lesson learned from that defeat at Pride 10 in 2000? Did you study the Kimura escape from every angle?

Yes, after that day I do not get caught anymore; I escape easily today. At the time I was already cautious; what I tried to do was to apply a takedown and fall on top of him. However, Saku hit the string and set up the submission, and in the process my arm was broken. People still asks if that broken arm causes me grief, anger or regret until now. Look, the reality is: that poor outcome has brought me great pride, and no grief. After all, I lost to another Jiu-Jitsu fighter: with that victory Sakuraba had proof that our family took Jiu-Jitsu back to Japan. Like grateful children that we are, we took the gentle art back to its crib so it doesn’t get lost.

You usually teach that a great fighter needs someone he respects coaching his workouts, waking up the guy early, requiring a little more of each session. Who will push you? And who will be your sparring partners in NY?

Who usually plays this role is Ricardo Almeida, always pushing me and requiring more work done. But I’ve also started push myself: I woke up early today and ran 46 minutes in the morning. My body is starting to react. I’m excited because I have tough people surrounding me; the team is sharp. From the family, Neiman is one of them, which is in excellent shape and already shines in MMA. Then, there is Gregor, Igor, and Rolles who has a MMA fight scheduled in Poland. The training will be catching fire until November.

At 47, you’re living in a wonderful phase where you can train and exchange knowledge with your son, Ruran of 19. Will he pursue a career?

Not only him, but also there is a new generation coming up that will not be easy. For an example, yesterday I found myself almost an hour with Daniel Ignacio, my 15 years old godson. He is already a wrestling champion here in the USA, and has my size! The tough guy was trying to submit me during the entire training. Now, he wants to wear the kimono and start winning in Jiu-Jitsu as well. Ruran is evolving too; it is a pleasure to see how much he still has to improve throughout his career. I am increasingly a fan of his. He had been sick for a while, but it was just one more struggle in our lives. Everything in life is a fight, and all was well in the end. We are closer after this fight together.

You face Sakuraba in November; and Matt Hughes in September 2015, at the ADCC in Manaus. Who do you want to face in the meantime to keep you in shape? You did not give up the UFC yet.

I should have one or two bouts around that time. I want to go at it again. And, against any opponent; after all I was born with this defect. Choose an opponent has never been my style. I just hope it’s a tough guy, the best we have, and a champion. But it is up to the promoters to pick who will face me. I’ll be ready to fight and even for free. Dana White said he would give me a blank check to stay home and don’t fight. But I said I would go there for free, we’re in this tug of war.

Are you preparing something special to surprise Sakuraba?

We train everything here, especially chokes and armbars. The guillotine and kimura are up to date. Yet, the reality is that I want to impose my game and see if he can follow.

Is there something missing in your career, Renzo? Fighting someone?

I have yet a lot to do for the love of Jiu-Jitsu. I want to try to take the sport to the TV here in the USA, for example; that is a next step. In the ring, I just have to celebrate. Being born in 1967 I had the glory of being able to exchange sweat and knowledge with four generations of my family. I am thankful for having shared so many amazing moments with the new and old generations of fighters. Not missed anyone. When did Conde Koma die? Was in 1941? Just missed him then, for a few years I did not take a plane to Para and went there to train with this Japanese.

The post Renzo analyzes rematch with Sakuraba and explains why he is proud of his defeat to the rival first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/from-the-treasure-chest-sakurabas-trip-to-brazil/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-the-treasure-chest-sakurabas-trip-to-brazil Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:35:03 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/en/?p=3492 In September 2005, a couple of GRACIEMAG reporters finally managed to get the Japanese hero to soften up and speak to an instrument of the western press for the first time. Both naïve and innocent, Sak livened up training at Chute Boxe in this article rescued from the old treasure chest. Everything suggested that Kazushi…

The post From the treasure chest: Sakuraba’s trip to Brazil first appeared on Graciemag.]]> In September 2005, a couple of GRACIEMAG reporters finally managed to get the Japanese hero to soften up and speak to an instrument of the western press for the first time. Both naïve and innocent, Sak livened up training at Chute Boxe in this article rescued from the old treasure chest.

Sakuraba training with former rivals at Chute Boxe. Photos: Gustavo Aragao

Everything suggested that Kazushi Sakuraba’s trip to Brazil to train at the academy of his age-old rival Wanderlei Silva was just a rumour without rhyme or reason. But the improbable happened. On August 19, 2005 the Japanese star arrived at Chute Boxe academy somewhat sheepish, greeting everyone with quick nods of the head, the sort of reverence and ceremony common in Japan. All it took, though, was a few weeks living with the chuteboxers for Sak to loosen up, conforming to more laid-back greetings (such as punching each others hands and pats on the back), and Sak the showboater shone through.

Fighter Marlon Mathias saw it all first hand. A rumor surfaced in Curitiba that Saku, with his faithful sidekick doubling as translator Wataru Takahashi, entered a newsstand in the capital of Parana and came face to face with one of those videos you have to be over 18 years of age to purchase. The two fell in love with some comely ladies on the cover of a porn DVD and, as they couldn’t read Portuguese, they couldn’t heed the warning printed on the cover: “She-men.”

Once recovered from the shock of seeing the beauties undressed on the TV screen, Sak and Takahashi decided to give a little present to a training partner. “Boy, that Sakuraba is a handful. After trying to deceive me, he now wants the DVD back to give to Takada,” said Mathias, referring to Nobuhiko Takada, not just the head of the gym where Sak and Takahashi train in Japan (Takada Dojo), but also one of most influential men in the Pride Fighting Championship organization.

Luck or setback?

Since the atmosphere was so relaxed, we decided to provoke Sakuraba a bit and ask about the cap the fighter gave Wanderlei Silva to wear into the ring at the Pride GP where he would face Ricardo Arona, on August 26. Since Wand lost the battle, wasn’t the cap a curse for the fighter from Curitiba?

“A curse? But Shogun won the GP… The cap was lucky, so much so that Chute Boxe won the tournament,” Sak retorted.

We also asked about the best and worst fights from Sakuraba’s career but he wouldn’t discuss it. We ran into the same dead end when we prodded him about his rivalry with the Gracie family. His willingness to answer our questions only returned when the topic came to retirement: “There’s no time limit to fighting, I’ve never contemplated quitting ,” said the ace of 37 years of age.

Limited vocabulary

What Sakuraba can say in Portuguese doesn’t go beyond expressions such as “Bora, time!” (“Let’s go, team!”),  and the most recurrent one: “I’m tired.” Moreover, Sak has no doubt that training at Chute Boxe is much more challenging than those he usually goes through in the Land of the Rising Sun. “The other day he asked me how to spell ‘I’m not tired’. I think Sakuraba wants to make a shirt with these slogans to climb into the ring with in his next fight in Pride,” said a suspicious Rudimar Fedrigo, leader of Chute Boxe.

The idol’s performance during practice at CB resembles the theatrical style of a pro-wrestler, making a lot of faces and posturing, with flashy moves and funny screams. “He also likes to play dead to suddenly lunge,” says Master Rafael Cordeiro. ” Sakuraba is a trickster,” he says.

Sak said that it was at Chute Boxe that he did his first Jiu-Jitsu training session. “I lent him a symbolic black belt to take a picture with,” says Cristiano Marcello, who considers Sakuraba a black belt in MMA. It is likely readers agree with Marcello’s opinion, with all Saku’s first-rate exhibitions in Pride. If we count only his victims from Brazil, the Japanese fighter has beat in MMA: Nino Schembri, Ryan, Renzo, Royler and Royce Gracie, Ebenezer Braga, Vitor Belfort and Marcus “Conan” Silveira.

Marlboros and local beer

Sak’s accomplishments become even more impressive when the idol of Pride admits to consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes. “Just a little, just a little,” justifies Sakuraba, using some of the few words he knows in English. In Portuguese “just a little” means “just a little”, but the guys from Chute Boxe insist it isn’t so…

” Sakuraba has already paid a bill of $ 2 thousand at a nightclub here in Curitiba,” says a chuteboxer who declined to be identified. “A draft beer at a party on the weekend I even tolerate, but if I catch him smoking I’ll grab Sakuraba by the neck,” promises Rafael Cordeiro.

A fan of barbecue and chicken soup, he often walks around with an ice compress on his famously bunk, his face completely recovered from the punishment he suffered at the hands of Ricardo Arona in the quarter-finals of the Pride GP (on June 26), Sak also says he is dying of longing for his family back in Japan

But when the intensive training session at Chute Boxe ends and the foreigner returns to his country, it’s likely the Brazilian team will miss the Japanese warrior. Each will have at least one funny story from the charismatic Japanese fighter as a souvenir, though.

Daniel Acacio, for example, already has his: “I’ll never forget the day I took Sakuraba to swim at a gym here in Curitiba. There he wore a swimsuit that in my definition is nothing but a hang-glider-shaped thong. The thing may well be common in Japan, but in Brazil it’s somewhat awkward. The staff at the club asked me to convince him to put briefs, but Sakuraba put his foot down and wouldn’t change the thong by any means. ”   If the trend picks up …

The post From the treasure chest: Sakuraba’s trip to Brazil first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/bitetti-combat-card-nearly-complete/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bitetti-combat-card-nearly-complete Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:24:16 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/en/?p=2445 The card for the February-25 Bitetti Combat 6 event in Brasilia is nearing completion. Danilo “Indio” Villefort is now confirmed to face Felipe “Mongo” Arinelli. Also, two more bouts were confirmed. Yuri Villefort faces Julio Cesar Merenda, while Leandro Batata will come up againt Johnny “Little” Eduardo. While an opponent has yet to be named…

The post Bitetti Combat card nearly complete first appeared on Graciemag.]]> The card for the February-25 Bitetti Combat 6 event in Brasilia is nearing completion. Danilo “Indio” Villefort is now confirmed to face Felipe “Mongo” Arinelli. Also, two more bouts were confirmed. Yuri Villefort faces Julio Cesar Merenda, while Leandro Batata will come up againt Johnny “Little” Eduardo.

Paulo awaits word of his opponent. Photo: Carlos Ozorio

While an opponent has yet to be named for Paulo Filho, another fight may also show up on the card.

“The news wasn’t supposed to have leaked, but everyone knows we’re trying to bring Sakuraba over to face Paulão. We’ll have the answer by next week. We didn’t want to talk about it to avoid any frustration from the public, but we are really trying to bring him over and there’s a good chance of it,” says Amaury Bitetti.

“Another fight may also appear on the program. We’ll know soon,” says Fernando Miranda.

Check out how the card stands now:

Bitetti Combat 6
Brasília, Brasil
February 25, 2010

Paulo Filho vs To be defined
Glover Teixeira vs Jeff Monson
Fabio Maldonado vs Valentijn Overeem
Cristiano Marcello vs Luciano Correa Izzy
Ediene “Índia” Gomes vs Amanda Nunes
Luiz Firmino “Buscapé” vs Francisco Drinaldo “Massaranduba”
Danillo “Índio” Villefort vs Felipe “Mongo” Arinelli

The post Bitetti Combat card nearly complete first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/bitetti-closes-with-overeem-and-negotiates-with-sakuraba-and-kondo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bitetti-closes-with-overeem-and-negotiates-with-sakuraba-and-kondo Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:17:26 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/en/?p=2366 The fight hasn’t yet been confirmed, but the organizers of Bitetti Combat are trying to bring in Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba to face Paulo Filho at the February 25 event in Brasilia. This week Alex Hooligan, the man responsible for negotiating with Japanese fighters for the event, travelled to the Land of the Rising Sun…

The post Bitetti closes with Overeem and negotiates with Sakuraba and Kondo first appeared on Graciemag.]]> The fight hasn’t yet been confirmed, but the organizers of Bitetti Combat are trying to bring in Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba to face Paulo Filho at the February 25 event in Brasilia.

This week Alex Hooligan, the man responsible for negotiating with Japanese fighters for the event, travelled to the Land of the Rising Sun to try and seal a deal with the Japanese fighter.

Yuki Kondo, who holds victories over such stiff competition as Zé Mário Sperry, Saulo Ribeiro and Semmy Schilt, is another Japanese standout who may feature at the event.

Sakuraba against Vitor Belfort. Japanese fighter may do battle in Brazil. Photo: Susumu Nagao

“Sakuraba has already said he’ll fight and Paulão too. All that’s left to do is come to financial terms.  Yuki Kondo also wants to come over and we’ll try and bring the both of them. But I’m warning that nothing is set in stone, so far it’s just negotiations we’re optimistic about because the fighters have shown real interest. If he doesn’t face Sakuraba, Paulão should fight Marvin Eastman. But we will do everything to bring the two Japanese fighters over, ” Amaury Bitetti told GRACIEMAG.com.

If Sakuraba and Kondo are just possibilities, the prosecutor confirmed the opponent of Fabio Maldonado.

” Fabio fights Valentijn Overeem. We wanted to match Overeem with Pedro Rizzo, but Pedrão won’t be able to fight in Brasilia, “he says.

Check out how is the card for Bitetti Combat is shaping up:

Bitetti Combat 6
Brasilia, Brazil
February 25, 2010

Glover Teixeira vs Jeff Monson
Fabio Maldonado vs Valentijn Overeem
Cristiano Marcello vs Luciano Correa Izzy
Ediene “India” Gomes vs Amanda Nunes
Luiz Firmino “Buscapé” vs Francisco Drinaldo “Massaranduba”
Paulo Filho
Danillo “Indio” Villefort

The post Bitetti closes with Overeem and negotiates with Sakuraba and Kondo first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/from-the-chest-10-slaps-that-marked-the-fight-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-the-chest-10-slaps-that-marked-the-fight-world Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:51:07 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/en/?p=2020 This was originally published in NOCAUTE Magazine in 2008. Countdown: 10 slaps that marked the fight world 10) Renzo Gracie before the fight with Wallid Ismail For someone who was just a kid and wasn’t even thinking of becoming a reporter, much less about fights, what most marked the Jiu-Jitsu challenge between Wallid and Renzo…

The post From the treasure chest: 10 slaps that marked the fight world first appeared on Graciemag.]]> This was originally published in NOCAUTE Magazine in 2008.

Countdown: 10 slaps that marked the fight world

10) Renzo Gracie before the fight with Wallid Ismail

For someone who was just a kid and wasn’t even thinking of becoming a reporter, much less about fights, what most marked the Jiu-Jitsu challenge between Wallid and Renzo in 1993, at Flamengo gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, were the moments leading up to the classic, like the warm-up and stare-down. For someone who never witnessed a Jiu-Jitsu match, seeing Renzo warm up for the match taking resonant slaps to the face from a brother was more noteworthy than the half-hour match itself.

9) Royce and his victims

Notice that in the first fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in 1993, the guys didn’t know how to show they were giving up and would slap the canvas. Worse for them, as pioneer Royce would just squeeze harder on their necks, elbows, shoulders…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAym2ZTfuuQ

8) “Hit me harder!”

It came from boxing and became a tradition. As soon as the guy gets hit in the ring, he slaps his own face to show he can handle another one just like it – even if he doesn’t really plan on eating another punch. The gesture is seen in nine of ten MMA fights, especially in Brazil. It doesn’t always work out.

7) Cro Cop versus Minotauro

Of all the sonorous blows from the Croatian star, few marked Brazilian fans more than these three slaps, when Mino popped his elbow, in 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZU3Vh95gz0

6) Slap fighting

Born in the olden days in Jiu-Jitsu academies, the old method of training for fight situations produced a generation of MMA stars. In the days of Carlson Gracie, Ivan Gomes and Euclides Pereira, a lot of events forbid punches, just open-handed slaps – which hurt like hell…

5) Randy Couture on Tito Ortiz

After hearing every insult in the book from cantankerous bad boy Tito Ortiz, Randy said in a 2003 press conference, “I’m going to spank him.” Said and done, and at the end you can see, while he dominated Tito, Randy smacking him, to the crowd’s delight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad7l25QODjA

4) Sakuraba against Nino Schembri

The Japanese showboat loved it: every now and again he would come up with something flashy, during the days of Pride, like the “telephone”, two open-handed slaps to both ears of his opponent simultaneously. He quit the habit when “Elvis” reciprocated with a knee square on his nose, knocking out the pro-wrestler in orange shorts.

3) Wand on Quinton Jackson

Silva was recovering from a knee injury, and Rampage thought he could play with fire. He took the mic after knocking out Randleman, challenged the champion, and got slapped on the chest. The scene at Pride, in 2003, marked the beginning of one of the biggest rivalries in MMA history.

2) Rickson on Hugo Duarte

In a classic video on Youtube.com, Rickson and his then-rival from luta livre met on the beach, and didn’t think twice about getting in the way of the group playing paddle ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaZRyigjt-U

1) Ricardo Arona at ADCC 1999

An exchange of grips a bit too hard was enough to put him off. Arona (shaved head) didn’t like it and gave the Russian a resonant slap to the neck. If it weren’t for several peace keepers, the crowd at the ADCC may have witnessed an MMA fight instead of the submission grappling they were expecting. Despite the incident, the match eventually played out to the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjwA46NgbW0

0) Bonus Slap

Keeping with Japanese tradition, Antonio Inoki tries to knock out Lyoto Machida, who takes it like a man.

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

The post From the treasure chest: 10 slaps that marked the fight world first appeared on Graciemag.]]>