Ultimate Fighter Brasil - Discussion, Rumors & Results

[Keithlewis]

http://www.ufc.com/news/TUF-Brasil-Episode-11-Recap


After so many battles in the Octagon and the tension outside the TUF Brazil house, a humorous challenge between the coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort opens episode number 11. Using the most popular sport on the planet, football (soccer), to test the leaders of both teams, UFC president Dana White proposes a battle of 10 penalty kicks, with the one to score more goals winning R$45,000, while each person of the winning team would get R$ 2,000.

To help the coaches with tips, two of the finest football players were called - Paulo Henrique Ganso and Marcos, a five-time world champion. White joked with Wanderlei, expecting a little more from the former PRIDE champion, who used to strike with the best “soccer kicks” during his reign in Japan, but he didn’t show the same ability in the field. Belfort though, who already had a history with football, had everything to open a wide advantage against his adversary.

But Vitor started with a bad penalty kick and missed. Wand also couldn’t score on his first attempt. Both alternated good and bad moments, but in the end, the former light heavyweight champion of the UFC was victorious by a score of 7-5, making the green team very happy, specially Gasparzinho, who raised Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer in the air in celebration.

After the challenge, it was time for the determination of the first finalist in the middleweight category, a battle between Daniel Sarafian and Sergio Moraes. In breaking down the bout, it is possible that Sarafian won’t accept a fight on the ground, while Serginho will be looking for that at all times. And considering the pre-fight comments from both sides, that possibility was getting clearer by the moment.

Welterweight Demian Maia visited the training center on this episode. A training partner of Sarafian outside the house and a personal friend of Wanderlei, Maia used the green shirt and the leader of the blue team asked him why, so the former challenger to the belt explained it was due to his relationship with Sarafian.

Serginho Moraes (Team Wanderlei) vs Daniel Sarafian (Team Vitor)

At the beginning of the fight, Serginho showed that he would try to take the fight to the ground, but he surprised everyone with some right kicks and a right hand. After that, Sarafian opened himself too much and was taken down, but he fought to stay close to the fence to get back up and leave no room for Serginho to work his jiu-jitsu. Both clinched against the fence, and without much action, the referee told them to stand up. Two perfect front kicks in Serginho’s face were the beginning of the end. He tried the takedown, but with no strength left, he didn’t succeed. After that, Sarafian waited for the right time to apply a beautiful flying knee that took Serginho down, and after two more punches, the referee halted the fight. It was a big win for the emotional Sarafian, who could not hold back the tears trying to console his opponent.

“Man, by the time I felt I was in the final. I don’t know what to tell you, man. It’s a feeling of relief because I was very tense”, said Sarafian, the first finalist of the middleweight division. “I knew the danger of fighting him. Serginho is a great athlete, a three time jiu-jitsu champion. I’m very happy, very relieved. I dedicate myself a lot, and I try hard in everything I do. I work for that 24 hours a day in my head.”

A cry of happiness for the victory on one side, and a cry for the defeat on the other, but back in the house, it was time for a little joy in the group. Beer, singing and pool playing were going on, with a few fighters trying to enjoy the most of the moment.

In the training center, Rony Jason and Hugo Wolverine are in the preparation for the second semifinal of the featherweight class, and the expectations are around not just this fight, but also about trying not to think of Pepey, who is already in the final.

Later, what started as a joke from Vitor between a crew member and Gasparzinho almost turns into trouble after that. The joker of the house has a phobia of being tied, and a few members didn’t hesitate on testing his patience. Rodrigo Damm paid the price for that, and suffered the “rage” of his disaffection in the house, as he never in the mood for jokes, but was the first to get the tape to tie Gasparzinho down. But after a broken door here and a trash can thrown there by Gasparzinho, everything seems to get back to normal.

[Keithlewis]

http://www.ufc.com/news/TUF-Brasil-Episode-12-Recap


The Ultimate Fighter Brazil is coming to an end, and on this week’s episode, the second athlete to compete in the featherweight final will emerge from the fight between Hugo Wolverine (Team Vitor) and Rony Jason (Team Wanderlei).

The coaches’ expectations were different from the ones showed by Hugo Wolverine and Rony Jason heading into the bout. While the coaches see the usual battle of will, Jason makes it clear that despite knowing his opponent won’t fight on the ground, he doesn’t intend to avoid the fight standing up. On the other side, Wolverine says he will use his strong hands and his taekwondo background to score the victory.

Cloistered during the TUF Brazil season, the semifinalists and the other cast members are showing signs of missing their friends and family outside the house. They can’t wait to decide the last finalists of the featherweight and middleweight divisions and meet those outside.

The visit of the twin Brazilian brothers of the UFC, Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Rogério Nogueira lifts up the atmosphere thanks to all the charisma these two stars of the Octagon have. Using the green shirt of Team Vitor, Minotauro started joking that he was angry that they took his coach, Luiz Dórea, to participate in the reality show. Jason, Team Nogueira’s pupil, teased the brothers, saying they can’t only use the green shirt (Team Vitor). Fabricio Werdum entered the situation and put the blue shirt on Rogerio, all in good spirits.

In the house, while a soccer match goes on in the living room, Jason and Wolverine are in a different mindset. The fighter from Team Wanderlei was making the final adjustments on his cardio, and Vitor’s pupil was trying to find a suitable fight strategy with Daniel Sarafian.

A second visit motivated the fighters as well in the form of the former PRIDE GP and UFC light heavyweight champion, Shogun Rua. And he quickly found out how many fighters in the house appreciated his work. Anistávio Gasparzinho was the one who celebrated the most about the visit from his idol, who was also in the training center to watch the fight between Jason and Wolverine.

After 40 seconds of studying each other, Wolverine took the initiative with punches that were blocked by Rony, who applied a low kick while his adversary tried to counter strike with more punches. Soon, Wolverine had a nose bleed, and accidentally poked Jason in the eye. The fight was stopped for the referee to check on it, and as the fight resumed, the trading of punches remained unchanged.

The second round started almost just as the same, only this time, they took more than 40 seconds to strike a blow that hits the opponent. A front kick by Jason was felt by Wolverine and the fighter from Team Wanderlei went towards him with a mix of excitement and will to finish the fight, and he made Wolverine lose balance once again. Wolverine responded with a superman punch that opened a cut on Jason’s eye. But the duel was even, with Jason getting the takedown at the end of the round.

The pace of the last round was slower, and the punches weren’t hitting their target as in the previous 10 minutes. Jason got a takedown in the end, after throwing some punches before the bell indicated the end of the fight. It was all Rony Jason needed to earn the unanimous decision win.

“Everybody was talking about Hugo’s excellent boxing, so I made sure I would fight standing up as well, to show that I’m good at it too,” says the winner Jason. “I’ll make sure my fights last, to make it exciting. I celebrated a lot, and I had fun in there.”

Jason also showed his will to get his brother off drugs, and he was very emotional in dedicating the victory to him.

The first final of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil is set for UFC 147 on June 23rd: Rony Jason vs Godofredo Pepey.

Next week, it’s the last semifinal with Thiago Bodão facing Cezar Mutante. Who will win this war?

[Keithlewis]

http://www.ufc.com/news/TUF-Brasil-Episode-13-Recap


After 13 episodes, the four finalists of the first edition of TUF Brazil are now known. In the featherweight division, Godofredo Pepey and Rony Jason were already guaranteed their spots. At middleweight, Daniel Sarafian was still waiting the result of the fight between Cezar Mutante from Team Vitor and Thiago Bodão from Team Wanderlei. Besides defining the last finalist of the reality show, the 13th episode of TUF also featured the participation of the narrator from Rede Globo, Galvão Bueno, who celebrated the fighters who did well inside the Octagon.

Galvão Bueno announced, among the other attractions of the night, the last fight of the seroes: Cezar Mutante vs Thiago Bodão. The fight would define the last finalist of the show, and the one who will compete for a UFC contract at UFC 147 on June 23rd in Belo Horizonte.

In preparation for combat, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva praised the persistence and capacity for overcoming adversity of Bodão as his top qualities for the fight. However, the opinions diverged about Cezar Mutante. Wanderlei raised the possibility of Cezar being protected by Vitor because they were from the same team outside the house, and he said that he would only be convinced that Mutante is a great fighter when he defeated Bodão.

Before the fight, the fighters received the visit from Galvão Bueno, who talked with them and asked for their strategies. Mutante, almost prophetic, said he would try to take the advantages as they come, and that is exactly what he did.

The last semifinalists of the middleweight division entered the Octagon, and Mutante from the opening seconds, showed himself to be pretty confident. Soon he started to throw good punches at Bodão’s head, and his opponent felt the blows. After that, a spinning kick like that from capoeira (which got some compliments from Galvão after the fight) almost landed. The next one did hit though, as Cezar delivered a powerful side kick that hit Bodao flush in the face. He fell, knocked out, as Mutante guaranteed his spot in the final.

“What I did was focus and take advantage of the opportunity when it came up. It is a personal realization to fight on the UFC card. I’ll give 100% to be the champion”, said Mutante, who submitted two opponents on TUF Brazil before knocking Bodão out.

After the fight, Galvao also announced the special awards from the show. Mutante got a Ford pickup truck for compiling the fastest total time in the Octagon during TUF Brazil: 7:29. Besides that, he also got a check for 45 thousand for best knockout (of Bodao). Best submission went to Rony Jason against Anistavio Gasparzinho, for his armlock in the quarterfinals. The best fight of the show was between Thiago Bodão and Trinaldo Massaranduba. In this case, both fighters got the prize.

This Saturday, the TUF Brazil champions will be crowned at UFC 147 in Belo Horizonte.

“There’s always a hurry,” said Mutante. “The next fight is always the most important.”

“They are pursuing a dream, and this dream is to get to the final, be the champion and sign the contract with the UFC”, said Galvão.

[Keithlewis]