Staying true to his word, Gustavo Dantas brown belt and Nova União standout Christian Broadnax has been busy building back up to his winning form. In a GRACIEMAG interview from a couple months back, the lightweight shared his struggle with keeping his training, school, and job in balance and how his Jiu-Jitsu had been suffering with the juggling act.

Revitalized by a double-gold performance at the 2012 AZ BJJ State Championship, Christian remained adamant about not letting his winning momentum come to a sudden halt. “You either keep going or you quit, and I’m not going to quit. I don’t have that kind of spirit,” stated a more reserved and mature Christian.

With the fire once again lit in his belly, Christian set off to compete at the IBJJF Toronto Open where he was able to claim gold in the lightweight division. The very next weekend, the 18-year-old traveled back down to Southern California to compete at the 2012 Samurai Pro and captured the gold at lightweight there as well.

Watch this clip of Christian at the Toronto Open doing what he does best: winning in impressive and athletic fashion.

The seven-bout card features a main event between The Ultimate Fighter alumnus Jamie “The Chosyn 1” Yager and Mozzy Arfa. Adding to the excitement, several major MMA personalities will be in attendance, including Kings MMA head coach Master Rafael Cordeiro, MMA and BJJ superstar Fabricio Werdum, legendary UFC and PRIDE star Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral, and Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos.

Weigh-ins were held last night at the Southbay BMW Store in Torrance, California. Jamie Yager was a tad bit over the 175-pound weight limit in his spandex shorts, so his team threw in a towel for him to strip down and make weight, which he eventually did. The evening was a big success, and Fabricio Werdum was on hand to sign autographs.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the door.

Check out the weigh-ins video by MMAMaxim.com and the full card further below:

The fight card, which is subject to change, is as follows:

1) Jamie Yager, Kings MMA vs Mozzy Arfa, PKG
2) Waachiim SpiritWolf, SpiritWolf MMA vs Michael Madrid, Wand Fight Team
3) Fernando Bettega, Kings MMA vs Gareth Joseph, Obake Fight School
4) Kevin Casey, Rickson Gracie Jiu Jitsu vs Daniel Mancha, Team Diamond
6) Beneil Dariush, Kings MMA vs Dominic Gutierrez, Subfighter MMA
7) Alex Espindola, Millenia vs Majid Raees, BJMUTA
5) Nolan Ticman, Kings MMA vs Gabriel Baino, Combat Rider

O Brasil também marca presença no show de MMA com os lutadores Fernando Bettega, Gabriel Baino e Daniel Mancha.

Samurai MMA Pro

Culver City, Califórnia, EUA

21 de outubro de 2011

Jamie Yager vs Mozzy Arfa
Waacheen Spirit Wolf vs Michael Madrid
Fernando Bettega vs Gareth Joseph
Kevin Casey vs Daniel Mancha
Beneil Dariush vs Dominic Gutierrez
Bobby Sanchez vs Majid Raees
Nolan Tickman vs Gabriel Baino

Yager, a former TUF contestant, will see action today at Rafael Cordeiro's event. Photo: UFC.

Sparks will fly this Friday in Culver City, California, the setting for Samurai MMA Pro 2011. The Rafael Cordeiro- and Lucas Pires-promoted event will be bringing some major firing power into the cage. In the evening’s main event, James Yager, a contestant on TUF 11, faces off with the game Mozzy Arfa, who is riding back-to-back wins.

Three Brazilian representatives will feature on the card: Fernando Bettega, Gabriel Baino and Daniel Mancha.

Samurai MMA Pro
Culver City, California, USA
October 21, 2011

Jaime Yager vs Mozzy Arfa
Waacheen Spirit Wolf vs Michael Madrid
Fernando Bettega vs Gareth Joseph
Kevin Casey vs Daniel Mancha
Beneil Dariush vs Dominic Gutierrez
Bobby Sanchez vs Majid Raees
Nolan Tickman vs Gabriel Baino

The 23-year-old, middle heavy weight son of Master Carlos Gracie, Jr. recently returned from his trip to New York where he competed at the Pan No Gi Championship. While there, he experienced a nice comeback from a hamstring injury he sustained at Fabricio Werdum’s Samurai Pro BJJ tournament back in the spring.

Kayron hanging out at the GB Compnet 11 tournament / Photo: Deb Blyth

“I hurt myself at the Samurai Pro,” Kayron says, “This was a good way for me to get back to competition.” His hamstring took four or five months to heal and it bothered him a lot. He even had to stop training for a while.

Kayron agreed to fight in a superfight in Panama over the summer, and although he won the match in about a minute, he says he was still hurt and had to change his strategy to be able to compete. He couldn’t play his guard game, which is his bread and butter.

By the time he arrived in New York, he was almost 100% healed. He trained with his GB teammates before his journey and took one of his students back East with him. In his middle heavy weight division, he won his first match with a toe hold and then closed out the final with his teammate and friend, Luciano Cristovam. Kayron was awarded the gold medal for his efforts.

In the open class he finished his first three fights with two rear naked chokes and one armbar. Then he found himself in the final with Davi Ramos of Atos. Kayron had never fought Davi before, but he’d seen his matches and knew that he liked leg attacks. “He’s fast and explosive,” Kayron says, “I escaped a lot of his attacks, but he didn’t give up trying and he caught me with a foot lock.” So, Kayron walked away with a silver medal in the absolute.

Kayron, who doesn’t like to lose, had nothing but respect for his opponent. “He did it well,” he says, referring to the lock he caught Kayron in, “And he knows he does them well. He stuck to the attack and he got it.”

Kayron says losing motivates him to train harder and work on his mistakes to try to correct them. “I don’t like to lose,” he says, “but you have to be a good sportsman. You have to know how to deal with defeat. It’s part of the game.”

The No Gi Worlds are coming up in November and Kayron says he will probably compete at them. He’s been running GB Mission Viejo and teaching classes regularly. He does have time to train for the No Gi Worlds, but says he has to take care of the academy as well, which takes a lot of his time and effort.

As for training and competing in no gi, Kayron enjoys it a lot. He practices more gi than no gi, but he loves no gi all the same. “I really believe it helps my gi game,” he says.

The last time Kayron won the No Gi Worlds was as a purple belt. This will be his first time attending the No Gi Worlds as a black belt. He usually goes to Brazil in November, but this year he will be in town, so he’s setting his sites on trying to win again, this time as a black belt. He doesn’t have anyone in particular he’d like to match up against. “I just want to fight the best guys in my division,” he says.

Kayron has been a black belt for two years. He’s very happy with his progression thus far. Kayron believes his best years are still ahead of him. “I still have a lot to do,” he says. His favorite Jiu-Jitsu techniques involve the neck and chokes. “I like the neck,” he laughs, “I like chokes because they can’t resist. If they don’t tap, they’re gonna go out!”

His ultimate goals are to win the open class in the Worlds, but he really wants to win in his weight first. Then, if he has the opportunity to fight in the absolute, he’ll do it. He also wants to compete in the World Pro next year. He was unable to train for the ADCC’s this year because of his injury. “I’ve never fought in the ADCC before,” he says, “I had two injuries this year. I hurt my foot really bad and then my hamstring. It’s been a bad year for injuries. Last year was a great year, but this year has not been so great.”

Kayron is looking forward to a much better 2012. “I want to stay healthy, make my school grow, win the Worlds as a black belt, and reach my maximum potential,” he says.

Felipe Pena, Brian Morizi, and Elias Ramirez with Fabricio Werdum / Photos: Deb Blyth

Players like Rômulo Barral, Kayron Gracie, Lucas Rocha, Otávio Sousa, Rodrigo Simões, Philipe Della Monica, and Bruno Antunes are well known on the brown and black belt circuit, but it’s the lower belts who are storming the scene. Guys like Brian Morizi, Elias Ramirez, Felipe Carsalade Pena and Aaron Miller are some of the names hoping to get on the podium at the Worlds this weekend at the pyramid in Long Beach.

Brian Morizi is a middleweight purple belt. This 21-year-old competes nonstop, traveling to different venues and tournaments around the state and nation. He came in first in his weight and in the absolute at the 2011 Abu Dhabi trials in San Diego and won the majority of his matches by submission.

At the Abu Dhabi he placed third in the gi in his weight. Although he didn’t come back with the gold, he was still happy with his performance and the trip overall. “They put mats down in the hotel so I got to train with a lot of different people,” he says, “I had a great time.”

At the Samurai Pro Morizi closed out his division with GB teammate Jeff Shulze and closed out the absolute final with his other GB teammate Felipe Carsalade Pena. Morizi won his divisional matches by submission. In the absolute he won his first match by advantages against an ultra heavy opponent and the second he won by submission. “My experience at the Samurai Pro was excellent,” he says, “It was a great warm-up for the Worlds. Competing at the same place as the Worlds gave me a feeling of comfort.”

Over the course of the last two years in his purple belt, Morizi has amassed over 50 medals. He trains three to four times a day. He says the jump in level of competition from blue belt to purple belt was big, but he feels he adjusted to it well. “I use a lot of technique and not much strength, so I’ve been able to adapt pretty easily,” he says. Morizi’s biggest accomplishments at purple belt include winning the 2011 Abu Dhabi Trials, the 2010 US Open, the 2009 No-Gi Worlds, and the 2009 No-Gi Nationals.

For the first time, he’s going to fight at the Worlds at middleweight instead of at light. “This is the first time in a long time I’m going into a tournament with no injuries,” he says, “The last few weeks I’ve focused only on training. I haven’t been teaching; just training for the Worlds.”

Morizi trains at GB America with the plethora of world class black belts there and for conditioning he trains at Juggernaut with a number of the other GB greats. “I’ve been gaining a lot of strength,” he says, “Chad (Smith, owner of Juggernaut) is really knowledgeable in power lifting and he’s been helping me get a lot stronger. I feel like I’m finally at the same strength as other middleweights. I feel really confident and relaxed. More than ever before.”

Elias Ramirez

Elias Ramirez is another GB purple belt who is training hard for the Worlds and hopes to have a good showing. He closed out his medium heavy division at the Samurai Pro with GB teammate Felipe Carsalade Pena. Pena gave Ramirez the gold. In the open, Ramirez won two fights, but because there were so many Gracie Barra guys competing and winning, Ramirez let Pena pass. Pena ended up closing out the finals with Brian Morizi. Gracie Barra closed out the entire open with Morizi taking first, Pena taking second and Ramirez taking third.

Ramirez is focused on growing Gracie Barra Anaheim Hills, so he doesn’t get to train and focus on competing as much as he would like, but he is training hard for the Worlds. “I want to get the gold, which is what I want every time I walk on the mats,” he says. Although Ramirez’s current dream is to open his own academy, he loves to compete. “I look forward to competing all this year and continuing to compete for as long as my body lets me,” he says, “I love competition and have a great desire to become the best I can be. I haven’t hit that point yet.”

Felipe Carsalade Pena recently moved to the Los Angeles area from Brazil to train with Rômulo Barral. At the Samurai Pro he had four fights in his medium heavy division and closed out the bracket with Ramirez. In the open he had two more fights and ended up closing out the bracket with Morizi. Pena felt really good about his performance. “I had hard fights,” he says, “It was a good warm-up for the Worlds.”

At the 2011 Pan, Pena had six fights and won the medium heavy division. He also won the medium heavyweight and open weight divisions at the Phoenix Open. It’s been a good year for Pena and he’s looking forward to showcasing his talent at the upcoming Worlds. “I’m training really hard,” he says, “I’m well prepared to fight for the gold at the Worlds.”

Pena began his training in Brazil with the help of his professors, Marcelo Uirapuru, Sergio Benini, and Augusto “Tio Chico”. “They’re always supporting me and encouraging me to train hard at Gracie Barra BH,” he says. In the last few months, Pena moved to California and has been training with his friend Rômulo Barral. “He’s helped me improve my Jiu-Jitsu a lot,” Pena says, “I am really thankful.”

Aaron Miller is a GB lightweight blue belt from GB Fullerton who recently won his division at the Samurai Pro. He won both his matches by submission. Miller is an MMA fighter who took a break from fighting to focus on training in Jiu-Jitsu. He was submitted in his last three MMA fights and it didn’t sit well with him. “I decided to take a year and focus on Jiu-Jitsu,” he says, “I’ve been working on defense from the back and attacks from the top.”

Miller has been working with Professor Maycon Carvalho and says he’s taught him patience. “I see things coming now instead of forcing them to happen,” he says. His Jiu-Jitsu training is paying off, as he recently also won his weight and the open class at the Phoenix Open.

As for the Worlds, Miller is looking forward to getting there and hopes to compete against the guys who have beaten him in the past. “Training for the Worlds is like training for a title shot in MMA,” he says, “You train hours and hours, day after day, only making time to sleep and to eat. My mind is focused only on the Worlds.”

Miller says he does not train to lose and he hopes those he competes against feel the same way. “I watch my old matches over and over again so I can see what I can do better next time and how I can improve my game. When I train at Gracie Barra I go against the best and I imagine it is for first place at the Worlds.”

Miller says he only sees gold on the horizon at the Worlds. “My first match is always the hardest because you go in cold nervous and amped up all at the same time,” he says, “But when I find my center, there is no stopping me.”

Joao Assis takes on Ricardo "Demente" Abreu. Photos: Deb Blyth.

Assis won gold in both his over 205-pound division and the absolute, which awarded him not just the money, but the coveted Samurai sword as well. Assis was sworn in as the Samurai Pro’s first samurai warrior.

In his division, Assis had two matches. The first was against Roberto “Tussa” Alencar. Assis took Alencar down, got him in an omoplata and then submitted him with a knee lock. “He tapped pretty fast,” Assis says, “It was a good match. He beat me two years ago at the 2009 No-Gi Worlds. Now we’re even.”

Assis’s second and final match was against Ricardo “Demente” Abreu. “It was a hard fight,” Assis says, “I took him down and then I attacked his back. I tried for an armbar from the back, but he defended. At the very end, he swept me, so the fight ended 6-2.”

That gave Assis a well-earned gold medal. “He’s a tough guy,” Assis says of Demente, “Everyone knows him. He does very well at the Worlds. It’s not every day you get to fight against Tussa and then Demente in the same day – except at the Worlds, so it was great.”

In the absolute Assis had two matches. His first fight was against Otavio Sousa. Assis pulled guard and was able to sweep him. The match went the distance, with Assis winning the battle 2-0.

In his second match he faced the big man, Antonio Braga Neto. “I took him down and then tried to pass, but time ran out,” Assis says, “It was a war. He’s a big guy. He’s always in the finals at every tournament. He’s a big name.”

Assis was happy to have so many good fights at the Samurai Pro and to get some very valuable competition experience in before the Worlds. “Now everyone knows I’m good,” he says, “The other guys are going to be very careful about me. To win a few weeks before such a big tournament is an advantage for me. I’m going to keep my training going and I’m going to be very good at the Worlds for sure.”

Assis says he’s ok with others studying his game and doing their best to beat him at it. He’s had the same game for many years, but he tries to cover everything within it. “I do what I do and I’m still doing it,” he laughs, “I can play everywhere. I don’t mind if people study my game. It doesn’t bother me.”

Surprisingly, Assis says even though he is completely confident with his Jiu-Jitsu game, he still feels a little nervous before a match. “It’s not about the guy I’m fighting,” he says, “It’s about the big crowd surrounding the fight – it’s the situation. This is what pushes me during a fight. After my first match, I’m fine. I’m very confident. If you train hard and you believe in your training, you can’t lose.”

These days Assis is Werdum’s main Jiu-Jitsu professor at Rafael Cordeiro’s Kings MMA school in Huntington Beach. He teaches a lot, but it doesn’t get in the way of his training schedule or his competition goals. “I teach at different times from when I train, so it works out well,” he says, “I spend all my time on the mat now. If I’m not training, I’m teaching. It’s easy. My students are getting very good, too, so I can train with them as well. Everything is natural. It all comes together.”

At the Worlds this year, Assis would really like to have a shot at matches against both Rodolfo Veira and Roger Gracie. “I want to fight them at the Worlds,” he says, “It would be a great challenge for me this year and to test myself and see what happens.”

Assis says a fight against Rodolfo would be a nice fight. “I’ve never had the opportunity to fight him before,” he says, “I’m going to fight in the heavy division for the Worlds, so it could happen. He likes to fight standing and has good pressure on the ground. A match between us would be good for everybody and for the fans watching.”

Assis’ goals for 2011 are simple. He says he has a very good training camp and he wants to win gold at the Worlds. Beyond June, he will start training for the No-Gi season and hopes to pick up some MMA fights again later on in the year.

As for the Samurai Pro, Assis says making $6000 doesn’t feel bad for a little work on a Sunday afternoon. “It was a good shift,” Assis laughs, “And I got a nice sword, too. It’s very beautiful. I will put it in my house for everyone to see.”

O faixa-preta que treinava (e aprendia com) Dan Henderson esbanjou nas quedas e faturou 6 mil dólares domingo. Foto: Deb Blyth.

O peso pesado João Assis foi à Pirâmide de Long Beach, na Califórnia, palco do primeiro Samurai Pro, como amigo, empregado e parceiro de time de Fabricio Werdum. Acabou com 6 mil extras no bolso.

O faixa-preta da CheckMat levou o ouro tanto na categoria acima de 93kg como no absoluto, o que lhe rendeu duas medalhas e a espada de samurai oferecida ao campeão do aberto.

Para vencer no peso, Assis precisou fazer duas lutas, com duas pedreiras. Na primeira, pôs Roberto “Tussa” Alencar para baixo, encaixou uma omoplata e acabou finalizando na chave de joelho. “Foi bem rápido, mas foi uma ótima luta. Ele tinha me vencido dois anos atrás no Mundial Sem Kimono, agora estamos quites”, brincou.

Na segunda luta, a final, Ricardo “Demente” Abreu era o obstáculo. “Foi duro”, disse. “Consegui botá-lo para baixo e pegar as costas. Mirei o braço, mas ele defendeu, e no finzinho me raspou. Foi 6 a 2, valeu. Não é todo dia que você precisa encarar Tussa e Demente no mesmo dia, então acho que foi ótimo”, lembrou.

No absoluto, realizado tarde da noite na Califa, mais duas lutas. Assis começou enfrentando Otávio Sousa (GB), a quem puxou e raspou. Ficou nisso, 2 a 0 para João.

A final foi contra o gigante (nos dois sentidos) Antonio Braga Neto. “Botei para baixo e tentei passar, mas não deu. Foi uma guerra, ele é um dos grandes, chega a finais em todos os torneios”, elogiou.

Assis agora quer manter a boa fase no Mundial, mas sabe junto com a confiança vem a atenção inimiga. “Agora todo mundo sabe que eu estou na parada, provavelmente vão vir mais cautelosos. Mas vencer a poucas semanas do Mundial é vantajoso. Vou manter meu treino e estarei na ponta dos cascos aqui, em junho”, prometeu.

Atualmente, Assis é o principal professor de Jiu-Jitsu de Werdum na academia Kings MMA, de Rafael Cordeiro, ali perto em Huntington Beach. O ensino não atrapalha seus treinos, então tudo está indo bem. “E os alunos estão ficando muito duros, ou seja, tudo vai naturalmente se adequando”, encerra ele, que sonha se testar contra duas pedreiras agora: Rodolfo Vieira e Roger Gracie. Cuidado galera, além da técnica, o bicho agora tem uma espada afiada.

Final between Barral and André Galvão / Photo: Deb Blyth

This weekend GRACIEMAG.com reporter Deb Blyth was at the CSU Long Beach Pyramid, where, to the fans’ delight, over thirty black belts showed up to compete at the Samurai Pro. Her account of the overall results were as follows:

In the over 205 lbs. weight class, Joao Assis took gold in his division against Ricardo “Demente” Abreu. Assis also won the absolute, making him the big winner – the Samurai – of the day.

In the 205 lbs. category, Romulo Barral was declared the winner over Andre Galvao.

In the 185 lbs. division, gold went to Clark Gracie after Kayron Gracie, who had won his first two bouts, gave him the win, taking himself out of the final because of a hamstring injury.

In the 165 lbs. division, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles came out on top over Philipe Della Monica.

All competitors won $3,000 for their first place finishes and claimed gold in a tournament packed with prestigious black belts.

Romulo Barral had a lot to prove at this tournament. Recently coming off knee surgery and coming in third at the Abu Dhabi’s, it was important for Barral to get a win in to get his mind back on track and his confidence up after such a difficult year.

At the Samurai Pro he had two matches. The first he won by bow-and-arrow choke. The second he won by points. In his final match up, he competed against Andre Galvao and he was honored. “For me, he is one of the best,” Barral says, “I’m a great fan of his. It was a great fight.”

Barral says he’s trying to get in as many tournaments as possible before appearing at the Worlds. “This win gave me my confidence back,” Barral beams, “I’m in good shape. I’m not worried about my knee. It’s 100%. I’m just trying to get my confidence back.”

Barral says his mind is the most important muscle he needs to work on now. “The body follows the mind,” he says, “If the mind is not 100%, nothing else matters.”

Clark Gracie went heels over head in beating Sharpei.

Barral enjoyed competing at the Samurai Pro. “It’s been a great experience here. Just to step on the mats makes you better.” Barral says his next goal is to be 100% for the Worlds – mentally and physically. There’s no one in particular he’s looking forward to fighting. He knows he’s going to have great fights no matter what. “Everybody at the Worlds is a great competitor,” he says, “It just feels good to fight the best guys.”

Clark Gracie had two matches at the Samurai Pro. The first was against Marco “Sharpei” Machado, and Gracie won with a choke. The second match was against Bill Cooper, and Gracie won that by points.

“Marco put a lot of pressure on top,” Gracie says, “I was able to fix my position on the bottom and work my strategy.” Bill Cooper was a little different for Gracie to fight. “He moves in a very unorthodox way,” Gracie says, “I told him he’s like a snake. He moves very sneaky. He doesn’t use a lot of strength, but he’s very explosive. I was able to catch him during those times so he didn’t catch me!”

Gracie had not competed against Cooper before and says he likes to fight new guys. “I like surprises,” he says, “I like rolling with someone new and not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s good suspense.” Gracie says he always has a strategy in mind, but can do well from any position.

You can catch Gracie at the upcoming Worlds. “I’m always prepared and always keep training,” he says, “I keep the pace going.”

Gracie says he had a great experience at the Samurai Pro. “I wasn’t going to do the tournament,” he says, “But my guys convinced me to. I actually got a little nervous beforehand. It was a good pre-Worlds experience for me… many of the same guys, the same venue. It’s kept me fresh.”

Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles is not retiring just yet! The super star showed up at the Samurai Pro to the fans’ delight and put on a great show. Cobrinha had three matches at the Samurai Pro. He submitted his first two opponents from a choke from the back and in his third and final match, against Philipe Della Monica, he won by points.

“I’ve never competed against these guys before,” Cobrinha says, “All of them were really tough. I’m very lucky to be here.” Cobrinha says he decided to compete, even after only moving to Los Angeles three months ago from Atlanta to open his own school. “It’s all about the competition,” he says.

Cobrinha says he was supposed to retire, but no one seems to be letting him do that. “I went to Abu Dhabi to work with one of the sheiks,” he says, “And then they challenged me to fight in the Abu Dhabis one day before the event! I could have said, ‘no,’ but competition is what I do. So, I fought at 75 kilos and came in third place. I got second in the absolute. I fought big monsters! I wasn’t prepared, but I did well.”

Gilberto Faria contacted Cobrinha for the Samurai Pro and told him it was “in his house”, so Cobrinha says, “I couldn’t say no. I want to support them. And they’re paying money, so we should support them. I had a great time today.”

As for competing at the Worlds, Cobrinha is still undecided at this point. “Everything’s possible,” he says, “There are no guarantees this year because I’m just very focused on my school. Next year, for sure, I will fight. This is my life.”

Cobrinha opened his L.A. school two months ago and already has 53 students. “It’s very successful,” he says, “And I’m very happy. I love L.A. It’s very different – very busy.” Cobrinha says he is teaching all the classes at his school by himself, so he doesn’t have much time to train and prepare for tournaments. “It takes a lot of energy,” he says, “I want to do well when I compete, but in order to do that, you have to have time for you and right now I don’t.”

Cobrinha’s future goals are wrapped up in his school. “I want to make some champions,” he says, “They are not just made on the mat, but outside the mat as well. I want to create men who respect others and help people.” And don’t forget the baking. Cobrinha is still baking as well. After the 2011 Pan, he held his grand opening of his new school and he baked three beautiful cakes, which were enjoyed by all.

“I love what I do,” he says, “I want to thank my fans for not letting me retire yet. I’m going to keep going.”

Cobrinha on top / Photos: Deb Blyth

A final entre Barral e André Galvão. Foto: Deb Blyth.

Nossa repórter Deb Blyth testemunhou um Fabricio Werdum empolgado, em sua estreia como organizador, ao lado do aluno Lucas Pires. Após o Samurai Pro, campeonato encerrado domingo na Pirâmide de Long Beach, onde festejou a presença de cerca de 30 faixas-pretas amigo, o lutador chegou a soltar: “Quando eu conquistar o cinturão do Strikeforce, eu vou pedir ao Dana para fazer uma luta pela unificação com o UFC”.

Não era só Werdum que estava demais. Nas lutas da faixa-preta, os craques brigaram bonito pelos 3 mil de dólares oferecidos ao campeão. Atleta da CheckMat, João Assis venceu Ricardo Demente, no peso pesado (acima de 93kg), e ainda levou o absoluto.

Na divisão até 93kg, deu Rominho Barral contra André Galvão. Na primeira luta, o mineiro finalizou com um bonito estrangulamento. Na final, venceu Galvão por pontos. “Ele é um dos melhores do mundo, então essa vitória foi importante para eu recuperar minha confiança para o Mundial. Não me preocupo mais com meu joelho”, disse o campeão da Gracie Barra, referindo-se a cirurgia recente. “O corpo vai atrás da mente. Se minha cabeça estiver 100%, nada mais importa”.

Clark Gracie ficou de ponta-cabeça para vencer Sharpei.

Na categoria até 84kg, o vencedor foi Clark Gracie, que finalizou Marco “Sharpei” Machado no pescoço na primeira luta e venceu Bill Cooper por pontos. Enquanto isso, do outro lado Kayron Gracie venceu também suas lutas, passando na semifinal por Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra, mas a final Gracie infelizmente não rolou: Kayron sentiu uma contusão no tendão na perna, e Clark ficou com o ouro.

No peso até 75kg, deu Rubens Cobrinha, após vitória por pontos contra Phillipe Della Monica na final. Em duas lutas anteriores, nosso novo GMA Cobra finalizou nas costas.

“Não garanto que vou lutar este Mundial, pois estou cuidando da nova academia aqui em Los Angeles, mas ano que vem luto certamente”, contou o ex-confeiteiro, que preparou três bolos para a abertura da escola. “Já estou com mais de 50 alunos, quero formar grandes campeões”.

Cobrinha no topo. Fotos: Deb Blyth.

Assis getting the finish / Photo: personal archive

João Assis was the big winner of the Samurai Pro event that ended yesterday in California, winning his weight group and the absolute division alike. The CheckMat teacher took home the Japanese sword offered as a prize, not to mention 6,000 dollars in prize money.

The team trophy for the adult contest went to Gracie Barra. The winning team in the children’s contest was A-Team. Check back for more information shortly.

Assis finalizando. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal.

O campeão absoluto do primeiro Samurai Pro, encerrado ontem na Califórnia, foi o faixa-preta João Assis, que faturou também o título no seu peso. O professor da CheckMat levou para casa a espada japonesa oferecida como prêmio – além de 6 mil dólares em prêmios.

Por equipes, o troféu do adulto ficou com a Gracie Barra. O time vencedor entre as crianças foi o A-Team. Confira mais informações em breve.