Known as one of the most exciting practitioners in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu today, Leo Vieira made an impact when he entered the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships and won the tournament twice in 2003 and 2005 in the lightweight category. He was also a finalist in the 2007 tournament, losing out to former HERO’S and current WEC fighter Rani Yahya and also wound up as a semi-finalist in the 2009 tournament. Recently, Vieira came down to Kuala Lumpur to conduct a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar with the help of BJJ Black Belt Marcos Escobar, who teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts and fellow BJJ Black Belt Chico Mendes and SG Pro was able to conduct an interview with Vieira. Special thanks go out to Marcos Escobar and BJJ Blue Belt Lim Fang Han of CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts for helping us get the interview.

From left to right: Marcos Escobar, Leo Vieira and Chico Mendes

SG Pro: Leo, first of all, welcome to Malaysia and thank you for taking the time to do this interview for SG Pro. It’s an absolute honor having you with us.

Vieira: My pleasure to be here in helping spread the BJJ fever around SEA and even more visiting our first official branch in here.

SG Pro: First of all, can you tell the readers about yourself such as your upbringing, how you got started into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and your gym in California?

Vieira: I started when I was eight years old stimulated by Bruce Lee movies. I consider myself a lucky guy that could watch and participated in BJJ’s growth worldwide. As you all know IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) is based in CA, running big competitions over there. We needed a training camp in that region and today thanks to the great job of Lucas Leite, Pantcho, my brother Leandro and many others we currently have five clubs over there.

SG Pro: The ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships is the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world and you have won the tournament twice in 2003 and 2005. What was it like to compete in the ADCC World Championships?

Vieira: ADCC is the biggest grappling competition in the world. It has changed the way people used to see No Gi competitions. All great fighters want to be a part of it. I’m one of the fighters with the most attendance in the competition and is always great to be part of it.

SG Pro: You’ve fought Rani Yahya twice during the finals of the tournament in 2005 and 2007. Both of you are 1-1 against each other. How tough was Yahya in the two fights you had against him?

Vieira: Hmmm… just for the record, we’ve fought at ADCC already three times – BRA 03, USA 05 and USA 07. Rani is a tough fighter and also a great guy. I respect him a lot and our matches will always be a great show cause both of us have a game that moves forward.

SG Pro: Do you see the two of you someday having a rubber match to finally settle the score once and for all and if so, would it be under ADCC or MMA rules?

Vieira: Well, as I mentioned before we’ve fought three times. We’re professional fighters and I don’t think the score is what matters. Fighting is our life and for sure we’ll meet again in some competition someday. Maybe in SEA in the future… who knows?

SG Pro: You competed in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships this year, but lost out to Rafael Mendes in the semi-finals. What happened?

Vieira: Well, I made some mistakes and Rafael is great fighter. When you commit mistakes with a great fighter you pay the price. That’s what happened. I’m sure we’ll fight again in the future and I’ll try not to commit mistakes.

SG Pro: I understand that you had a match against the legendary Mark Kerr before. Care to share us your thoughts on that match?

Vieira: It was my first No Gi competition and Mark Kerr was in evidence at that time. I think that was a good opportunity to show BJJ’s efficiency once I was fighting someone twice my size & weight. Even not winning that match, till today people remember the fight and ask me about it.

Leo Vieira (blue gi) sparring with Marcos Escobar (black gi) at CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts Gym.

SG Pro: This is your first time visiting Malaysia and here, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is slowly but surely gaining popularity. It is no secret that MMA is becoming the fastest rising sport in the world and recently, there has been a strong interest in picking up the art either for leisure or competition. How do you feel about this?

Vieira: The rise of MMA worldwide is very good for BJJ. However I would say MMA is the fastest rising sport in terms of audience. People love to watch MMA competitions but when we talk about training or practice, most of them chose to go for BJJ. Even in Brazil or US we have much more people training BJJ than MMA. Most of the great MMA fighters came from BJJ. I think what SEA need is to have more people involved with the sport (BJJ) itself… academies, fight wear, competitions etc. This will help in the growth of the sport for sure.

SG Pro: When you came into CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts on Thursday (the day after Vieira arrived from Brazil), what was your reaction like seeing as to how many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners there were in the gym with several of them coming from East Malaysia and also all the way from Singapore?

Vieira: I’m glad to see so many people and to see they love BJJ. I think it’s all about hard work with quality. Marcos Escobar is a good friend of mine for a very long time. He’s also a great fighter with many titles in Brazil and overseas, including ADCC. Nowadays, he’s the coordinator of Checkmat in Malaysia & our official representative in Asia. I’d like to congratulate him for the great job and I’m looking forward to coming back here soon.

SG Pro: What is next for you after this seminar is over? Any upcoming fights for you?

Vieira: I had a great time here, the seminar was great and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel staff took good care of us all. Anyways, I’m far away from home since September and now I just want to go back to my wife & kids.

SG Pro: How do you find it here in Malaysia? Any thoughts of coming back to the country again?

Vieira: Malaysia is a great place, great people, great food… even though I’ve failed in eating Durian for this on I’m still white belt (rs). I’m planning to come back with my family next time.

SG Pro: Who do you think are the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in MMA today and why?

Vieira: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Demian Maia & B.J. Penn. Even though all MMA fighters practice BJJ, in my opinion, those are the ones that use BJJ the best in the fight.

SG Pro: Now it’s time for our SG Pro interview tradition, the word association! What I’m going to do is name a fighter or organization and you will have to describe them in just seven words or less. Let’s start with the first one. Marcos Escobar

Vieira: Checkmat Asia & SEA

SG Pro: Chico Mendes

Vieira: Checkmat wouldn’t be the same without him.

SG Pro: CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts

Vieira: Escobar BJJ Academy.

SG Pro: ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships

Vieira: Biggest and most traditional grappling competition.

SG Pro: Rani Yahya

Vieira: Great fighter.

SG Pro: Barret Yoshida

Vieira: Very flexible.

SG Pro: Rafael Mendes

Vieira: New generation.

SG Pro: Mark Kerr

Vieira: Great champion. A shame he has stopped competing.

SG Pro: B.J. Penn

Vieira: Great friend, big heart and an awesome fighter.

SG Pro: Kenny Florian

Vieira: Dangerous south paw.

SG Pro: Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto

Example of dedication.

SG Pro: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Vieira: First to display pure jiu-jitsu in MMA.

SG Pro: Ultimate Fighting Championships

Vieira: Biggest MMA event.

SG Pro: Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti

Vieira: He who gave me the black belt and someone that I have a lot of care & respect.

SG Pro: And finally, Leo Vieira

Vieira: 1-father (family), 2-leader, 3-coach and 4-fighter. Nowadays those are the priorities in my life.

SG Pro: One last question, do you have any messages you would like to convey to our readers and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners out there?

Vieira: Doesn’t matter how great and talented you are, results come with dedication & faith. Train hard, train more & train always.

SG Pro: Thank you very much once again for your time. We at SG Pro would like to wish you all the very best in your career!

Vieira: Appreciate the opportunity, my pleasure. God bless you all.

Team CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts along with Leo Vieira and Chico Mendes

The K-1 World Max has always been one of the most exciting fight leagues throughout the world with some of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for supremacy at 70 kg. Over the years, FEG’s exciting brand has produced many great fights and excellent fighters to go along with them. The K-1 World Max have also gained a huge following with many fans around the world following the brand and now that all of FEG’s brands are being shown on HDNet in the United States, the exposure is even greater than ever. With the finals of the tournament looming over later on today, fans are eagerly anticipating the crowning of this year’s K-1 World Max Champion.

However, for the very first time, last year’s champion will not be taking part in the final four. In fact, last year’s champion never took part in this year’s tournament at all! Masato, the two-time K-1 World Max Champion having won the tournament last year in dramatic and thrilling fashion, announced his shocking retirement on April 1st this year, making it the biggest news of the year in the K-1 World Max brand. As such, FEG officials had set him up with a trilogy of fights leading up to his impending retirement, including an exhibition fight against Masato’s young prodigy, 17 year old HIROYA, who is the 2008 K-1 Koshien Champion, an exciting and memorable battle against DREAM lightweight contender Tatsuya Kawajiri and finally, his retirement fight against the winner of the 2009 K-1 World Max Tournament on New Year’s Eve at Dynamite!! 2009.

Which of course brings us to the four men left in the tournament. A Japanese, an Armenian Italian, a Dutchman and a Thai will be competing tomorrow for one of the richest prizes in all of fight sports. It is sure to be an exciting evening of action when the K-1 World Max 2009 Final take place at the Yokohama Arena later on today, but only one man will leave as champion. Now, we take a look at the two semi finals that will take place and how each men will fare against one another.

Semi-Final: Yuya Yamamoto (Japan) vs. Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy)

When people think of Japanese K-1 World Max fighters, the names Masato, Yoshihiro Sato, Taishin Kohiruimaki, Kozo Takeda and recently, Yasuhiro Kido come to mind. While Yuya Yamamoto is a good fighter, many overlook him as just another Japanese fighter struggling to make the big leagues in the K-1 World Max. However, he made heads turned after defeating Chi Bin Lim during the Final 16, bare in mind as a substitute for the injured Taishin Kohiruimaki, then put on a thrilling showcase against Gago Drago during the Final 8 and beating him to make the semi-finals! In recent times, Yamamoto has gone on from being just another Japanese fighter to a fighter who has a good chance of someday becoming a K-1 World Max Champion, combining unpredictability and amazing skills . While he still has a long way to make it to the level men like Masato and others have, Yamamoto could pull of the success story of the year by winning the K-1 World Max Tournament this year and make a name for himself in the biggest way possible.

His opponent is the Armenian who makes Italy his home, the ever so talented Giorgio Petrosyan. One of the new blood in the K-1 World Max, Petrosyan made a name for himself in the promotion with a bang. During the Final 16, The Doctor took on The Contender Asia Season One’s Dzhabar Askerov, stopping the tough fighter with a low kick KO. He then went on to the Final 8 where he picked up the biggest victory of his career thus far, defeating the very first K-1 World Max Champion Albert Kraus via unanimous decision. Petrosyan is a very dangerous fighter one must defeat in the first round as it is during the first round where he will analyze his opponent’s fighting style and by the time the second round takes place, he finally delivers a gameplan that usually sees him walk out with a victory, a strategy that is truly befitting of the nickname The Doctor.

This will be an exciting fight that will usher a new breed of warriors to step into the K-1 World Max. Both Yamamoto and Petrosyan will be going for broke in what could be a show stealer. In order for Yamamoto to beat Petrosyan, he will have to finish off the intelligent Armenian Italian in the first round, which basically means knocking him out. However, Petrosyan is no easy fighter to knock out and if Petrosyan could go into the second round after studying Yamamoto well, he would have this fight in his hands. Even more impressive is if he would be able to finish off the tough Japanese fighter by knocking him out early to send him into the finals. The world will witness two exciting young fighters battle it out to see who will advance on into the finals of the K-1 World Max Tournament.

Andy Souwer (Holland) vs. Buakaw Por.Pramuk (Thailand)

Andy Souwer is quite possibly one of the best fighters to ever come out of Holland. A popular shootboxer who competes in the S-cup shootboxing promotion, Souwer is a wily veteran with fantastic boxing combinations and strong kicks. Did I also mention that this fighter is also a two-time K-1 World Max Champion, winning the tournament in 2005 and 2007? Souwer had a pretty rough ride heading into the semi-finals. During the Final 16, he had to contend against Leroy Kaestner, a protege of the legendary three-time K-1 World GP Champion Peter Aerts. Then in the Final 8, he met his rival from last year’s semi-finals, the 2008 K-1 World Max Finalist Artur Kyshenko. While Kyshenko was dangerous, Souwer was able to pick the young Ukrainian apart in a very competitive and bloody battle, making it to his fifth straight semi-final in the K-1 World Max Tournament.

Buakaw Por.Pramuk is a legend. He is a name which every Muay Thai enthusiast and kickboxing purist can easily identify. A two-time K-1 World Max Champion himself having won the tournament in 2004 and 2006, Buakaw has quickly risen to become one of the greatest fighters on the planet today. Combining powerful combinations and lethal kicks, this product of the Por.Pramuk Gym is a machine built to for destruction. His amazing run in the 2006 Final Tournament is still talked about till today. In recent years however, some may say that Buakaw has lost the spark that made him such a dominant force since his arrival into the K-1 World Max in 2004. It showed when he was knocked out by Yoshihiro Sato in one of the biggest upsets in K-1 World Max history and in his Final 16 bout against DREAM fighter Andre Amade, Buakaw was knocked down very early in the first round, questioning his once indestructible chin, but was able to fight back and went on to win the fight after taking advantage of Amade’s terrible fatigue. In a fight which was described by commentator Michael Schiavello as a glorified sparring contest, Buakaw easily defeated Nieky “The Natural” Holzken via unanimous decision. After missing out on the semi-finals twice in a row, Buakaw is looking to return with a vengeance as he looks for his third K-1 World Max Title.

Both Souwer and Buakaw have had history dating back to the finals of the 2005 K-1 World Max Tournament, where in a highly competitive battle, Souwer defeated Buakaw after five exhilarating rounds. Buakaw would then return the favor in a big way when he knocked out Souwer a year later in the finals of the 2006 K-1 World Max Tournament. Their match later on today will be the rubber match in one of the most legendary feuds in the history of the K-1 World Max. Just who is the better fighter between these two highly skilled veterans and will we see a three-time K-1 World Max Champion at the end of the night?

Tournaments as prestigious as the K-1 World Max is sure to bring out the best of the fighters and sometimes, injuries can occur during the course of the fights. As such, it is mandatory for every tournament organized by FEG to include a reserve fight in case anything happens to any of the fighters during the tournament. For this year’s tournament, the reserve fight will pit two skilled Japanese fighters, Yoshihiro Sato and Yasuhiro Kido, against each other. After a discouraging loss to Gago Drago in the Final 16, Sato redeemed himself with a victory over Joeri Mes in order to advance to the reserve fight. Meanwhile, Yasuhiro Kido, having been unable to win the K-1 World Max Japan Tournament for the second year in a row much like every fighter who competed and won the tournament, had to take on Su Hwan Lee during the Final 16 reserve fight and defeated him. He then went on to the Final 8 and defeated Leroy Kaestner to advance into today’s reserve fight. Sato is a very tall fighter at 6′1″ and will have a huge reach and height advantage over Kido. However, Kido will not go down without a highly competitive fight and tomorrow’s reserve fight is sure to raise some eyebrows as both of these Japanese fighters are hoping to walk out with a victory and perhaps, a chance to compete in the finals should anything go wrong to any of the fighters competing in the tournament.

In what could very well be one of the most competitive tournaments to date, four hungry fighters are hoping to pick up where the legendary Masato left off and a tournament victory will not only be at stake, but also the opportunity to headline against Masato in his last match on MMA’s grandest stage, Dynamite!!. For Yamamoto, a chance to go up against one of Japan’s greatest fighters would be an excellent passing of the torch to the next generation of hungry Japanese fighters. For Petrosyan, Masato will provide an interesting challenge to showcase his analysis skills against the Silver Wolf. For Souwer, having beaten Masato twice, the third time could be the charm for the shootboxer if he could beat Masato again in their third meeting. For Buakaw, it is all about revenge after losing to Masato two years ago in the 2007 K-1 World Max Tournament. Four men enter the Yokohama Arena looking to etch their name in history, but only one man will be able to do so. Who will walk out as the 2009 K-1 World Max Champion?

The White Cage. It is a structure that has never been seen before in mainstream Japanese mixed martial arts and for the first time ever, DREAM will be using this interestingly named battlefield for their upcoming MMA event, DREAM.12.

Who would ever thought that someday, a cage will be used as the battlefield for a mainstream Japanese MMA promotion? Looking back over the years, the ring has played an important role in shaping the identity of Japanese MMA. Promotions like Shooto, ZST, Pancrase and RINGS have consistently been using the four-sided ring with ropes and both PRIDE and HERO’S, two of the top MMA promotions in the past, have been loyal users of the ring. One question does remain though: Why have rings been used all this while instead of cages?

For me personally, I’ve always been a strong supporter of the ring over the cage. The reason for this was due to people stereotyping cagefighting as a form of bloodsport or as former American presidential candidate Senator John McCain has called it “human cockfighting”. As such, this was not a good way of promoting the sport of mixed martial arts to a large audience and at one point, Senator McCain campaigned for a complete ban of the UFC. Unfortunately, while McCain’s campaign was successful, the UFC was able to find its way back in the sporting world thanks to a set of rules and regulations for MMA after cooperating with several sport athletic commissions throughout the country, thus giving birth to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

Meanwhile, things were going smoothly over in the Land of the Rising Sun. Dating back to the days of Shooto, Pancrase and even the UWF-I, shootfights have traditionally taken place in rings and while modern day Japanese promotions such as Cage Force and recently, DEEP, use a cage, rings have been such a vital part in Japanese MMA that it is a must to use them in every Japanese MMA promotion. In the case of FEG’s Dynamite!! events, it is easier for them to use a ring as their fights consist of K-1 and MMA rules.

However, cages have since been favored by a lot of fighters and fans alike. One of the cons of the ring is that sometimes, fighters get tangled up in the ropes while fighting on the ground and as a result, the referee would have to reposition the fighters in the center of the ring and most of the time, it is an awkward feeling for both fighters, especially when the dominant fighter had a distinct advantage over the opponent prior to the repositioning. I’m not so sure if this term is ever used in Singapore, but to us Malaysians, this is truly indeed a “potong stim” moment.

Now, for one night only (and probably in the years to come since FEG is planning on making the White Cage an annual thing), the White Cage will make its mark in mainstream Japanese MMA. Unlike typical eight-sided and circular cages, the White Cage is six-sided, the reason being that, according to DREAM Executive Producer Keichi Sasahara, “I don’t think that an eight-sided cage is the global standard.” With that in mind comes this unique structure that will surround the fighters who dare step into the White Cage to do battle.

Along with the White Cage comes a great card that is sure to please every MMA aficionado out there. There’s a lightweight attraction featuring the Japanese return of the 2008 DREAM Lightweight GP Tournament Semi-Finalist and the first and current Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez taking on the grim-looking Katsunori Kikuno. There will be a battle of pro-wrestlers as Katsuyori Shibata takes on Tokimitsu Ishizawa, who usually competes in pro-wrestling under a mask as the devious Kendo Kashin. Kazushi Sakuraba will also be in action when he takes on Zelg Galesic and the current DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis will be taking on Myeon Ho Bae. The evening will be capped off with a huge heavyweight main event when Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem makes his Japanese MMA return since the controversial fight against Mirko Filipovic at DREAM.6 when he takes on former PRIDE fighter James Thompson who is making his DREAM debut after competing for SENGOKU and EliteXC last year.

There’s no telling what is in store for us as we get set to enter the White Cage at DREAM.12. With the event emanating from the Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan this coming Sunday, the emperors of bygone days will tremble in fear when their kingdom is invaded by the modern day warriors of DREAM as they set to do battle in one of the most historic nights in Japanese MMA!

The Staples Center has played host to many historic events. It was in this very arena where six NBA Finals series took place with the 15 time NBA Champions the Los Angeles Lakers playing host to the event. The prestigious Grammy Awards have been taking place in the Staples Center since 2000. The huge boxing fight between Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito attracted a record crowd of 20,820 fans. The arena was also the site where a public memorial service for the late Michael Jackson took place in one of the most emotional events of the year.

As for mixed martial arts, we have to go way back in 2006 where the last UFC event was held in that very arena, headlined by a catchweight bout between then UFC Welterweight Champion and future Hall of Famer Matt Hughes against the legendary UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. Three years later, the UFC will return to the Staples Center for UFC 104. This event boasts a pretty good lineup, which also features a heavyweight bout that is sure to be worth a watch as Cain Valesquez takes on UFC newcomer and MMA veteran Ben Rothwell. However, all eyes will be on the main event as two of the finest light heavyweights from Brazil today clash for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title as the champion Lyoto Machida takes on the challenger Mauricio Rua!

UFC Light Heavyweight Title: Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua

Lyoto Machida is quite possibly one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of Brazil. Revered in the style of Machida Karate taught to him by his father, Yoshizo Machida, Lyoto Machida is one of the true karate practitioners in MMA. Using a very elusive style that has made him one of the most controversial fighters out there, Machida can either be an exciting fighter or a frustrating fighter to watch in action, whichever floats your boat of course. However, despite being elusive and despite going the distance throughout his career, Machida is known to possess dangerous and powerful strikes in addition to his sleek submissions skills as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Just ask the last two fighters he knocked out, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans, whom he beat to become the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Machida is a unique individual. He is truly the epitome of what a martial artist truly is. One who is very focused and driven in his quest to become the greatest fighter in the world and one who trains hard and excels at what he does. It is these traits which prompt many fans, including UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, to compare him to another very dedicated and legendary martial artist, the late great Bruce Lee. There is absolutely no doubt that Machida is one of the world’s top MMA fighters today and for him to be undefeated since his debut at the Tokyo Dome in 2003 is a testament to that.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Octagon is the renowned Mauricio Rua. Once upon a time, Shogun Rua was the top light heavyweight in the world. Specializing in the arts of Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rua tore through the ranks of the PRIDE middleweight division, holding notable victories against the likes Akihiro Gono, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Kazuhiro Nakamura. After PRIDE was bought over by Zuffa, Rua signed with the UFC, but in his debut UFC fight at UFC 76, didn’t make the same impact he made back in PRIDE where he was knocked out by Forrest Griffin, who would eventually become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion a year later. Suffering a knee injury during his fight against Griffin, Rua was out of action for more than a year as he underwent surgery to repair his injured knee. When he came back, he was able to seek revenge against Mark Coleman at UFC 93, who broke his arm in a freak accident during their fight in PRIDE back in 2006. Months later, Rua would pick up the biggest victory of his career thus far when he scored a huge upset by knocking out UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in the first round of their co-main event at UFC 97! Since then, Rua has a lot of momentum and confidence on his side and the man once known as the top light heavyweight in the world has the chance to make it to the top once again.

The Dragon vs. Shogun: Just who is Brazil’s top light heavyweight in the world?!

It is a no-brainer that most of the top fighters in MMA mainly come from Brazil. After all, it is there where the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed and it forms the basis for most top MMA fighters. Unsurprisingly, both Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua are strict practitioners of the art and both will want to make full use of their BJJ skills when the fight does go to the ground. However, when both men are standing up trading strikes, there is a potential knockout that could occur by either men. Machida will use his Machida Karate against Rua’s Muay Thai, which will play a huge factor in this fight. The question though is, which art will prove to be the superior one?

In addition to that, Machida vs. Rua is another fight in the many dream fights between a fighter formerly from HERO’S and a fighter formerly from PRIDE. Sure Machida may have fought in HERO’S once (at their maiden event with a win over current UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn), but he has also fought at FEG’s first all-MMA event before the formation of HERO’S, ROMANEX. Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, Rua was one of the top fighters to ever come out of PRIDE, so this makes for a very intriguing fight between the two Brazilians.

One man is looking to hold onto his title and remain unbeaten while the other is looking to make a huge impact and reclaim his spot as the top light heavyweight fighter in the world. Who will walk out this coming Saturday night live at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion?

SG Pro – Fight Community has the privilege and the honor of interviewing the most technical fighter of the 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open, Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva. Known to his peers and students as Brodinho, he is currently a 1st degree BJJ Black Belt instructor at Evolve MMA and is a BJJ Mundials World Champion with over 11 years of experience and has won numerous regional and national titles in Brazil. Join us as we discover what makes this World Champion ticks!

SG Pro: Brodinho, first of all, thank you for finding the time to do this interview with us!

Brodinho:  Thank you.  Thank you.  I’m happy to be here.  I’m sorry for my English.  I am still learning every day.

SG Pro: First off, tell us more about yourself, the information that we find about you on the internet is limited. All we know is that you are a BJJ Mundials World Champion with over 11 years of experience, you won the title of Most Technical Fighter at the recent 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open and that you are currently teaching at Evolve MMA.

Brodinho:  I am from Ubatuba, Brazil.  BJJ is my life.  When I young, I was problem kid.  I have many street fights all the time.  But BJJ change my life and make me understand honor and respect.  It make me understand to be calm and humble.  I’m training BJJ now for 11 years every day for 6-8 hours every day.  This is my life.  I’m a professional fighter since I have been 15.  I don’t know how many tournament I compete, but I think around 200-250 tournament.  I am Mundials World Champion in 2004.  In Brazil, I training at Gordo Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro.  It is one of best schools in Brazil and have many World Champions and over 50 Black Belt there.  Now, Gordo Jiu-Jitsu is become Evolve Brazil.  It is championship academy.  Gordo is the master there.  He is many times World Champion and he invent the half-guard in BJJ.  Now, I come to Singapore this year and I will live here forever.  Evolve is my life and my family.  Thank you to Chatri Sityodtong and Gordinho Correa for everything.   I am now learning Muay Thai because I am professional MMA fighter.  Muay Thai at Evolve is the best from Thailand.  I am thank you to Evolve for making me better in everything.

SG Pro: How old were you when you started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and what draws you to it?

Brodinho:  I have about 14 years old when I start BJJ.  I love BJJ.  It gives me discipline, honor, respect.  It make me humble.  BJJ is a beautiful art.  This is it.  It is art.  I love to challenge myself physically and mentally.  BJJ make me a better person.

SG Pro: We did a search on youtube and found a couple of your fights in no gi competitions in Brazil so do you actually prefer competing in the gi or without the gi and is there any difference to it?

Brodinho:  I love gi more.  I do both.  But with gi, it is more technical and makes you a better fighter.  If you learn only no-gi, it is very hard to reach a high level.  There is big difference.  When you are beginner, it is very important to learn with the gi.  For my MMA fights, I still train with the gi because it make me to be more technical.

SG Pro: What is the thing that inspires you to keep on training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all these years?

Brodinho:  BJJ is a martial art.  It teach me to become a man.  I love BJJ.  This is my heart.

SG Pro: You currently have a 4-2 record in professional MMA, winning 3 of your 4 fights via submissions. Are you more comfortable grappling than striking and are you currently working more on your striking?

Brodinho: I am BJJ Black Belt.  I am a World Champion in BJJ.  For me, I am grappler.  Submissions is natural for me.  But since I come to Evolve, I am now training very hard in Muay Thai.  The Sityodtong team is the best from Thailand.  My dream is to have my Muay Thai as good as my BJJ.  As a professional MMA fighter, this is what I need.  I am lucky to have the best teachers in Muay Thai like Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Chatri Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong, Daorung Sityodtong, and everybody.  They teach me so many things and I never seen so much technical detail before.  Before I came to Evolve, I thought Muay Thai was just power.  Now I realize that it is like BJJ.  Muay Thai is art with many technique and details.

SG Pro: We reviewed one your fight at Fury FC 3 against Takafumi Otsuka and it seems that the referee stopped the match too soon and the camera shows you visibly upset and seemingly adjusting your cup. Would you want to share with us what happened in that fight?

Brodinho:  The referee is there to protect the fighters.  I know this. When I step into the ring or cage, I am prepare to die.  The cup break because the Japan fighter knee my balls.  This is illegal.   I try to speak for referee that the cup is broken.

SG Pro: You won the 2004 BJJ Mundial World Championship under 70kg Category, how has participating in this prestigious event changed your life?

Brodinho:  It is nice, but I want to be better more every day.  MMA is a new challenge.  My goal is to be World Champion in MMA in the future.

SG Pro: You were declared the Most Technical Fighter of the 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open, share with us your thoughts on the tournament.

Brodinho:  For me, I am happy because my students do so good.  I win too, but more nice is Evolve is the Champion Team of the tournament.  We have many tough fighter like Tommy, Judd, Neelan, Brian and everybody.  Evolve is tough people.  They have many tough fighters there for the tournament, but Evolve is better technique, more heart, and more fitness.  The absolute finals for Black Belt was tough because Rodrigo is a top fighter from Brazil too and he is 10 kilos more heavy than me.  Makoto in No-Gi final is good fighter too.   I am happy to win both of these tough fighters.

SG Pro: When will your next fight be and how is the preparation for the fight going?

Brodinho: I am fighting in Art of War next.  It is the biggest MMA show in China.  I am start training already for it.  Every day, 2x training per day.  I train a lot in my Muay Thai with Nuengpichit, Chatri, and Yoddecha.  This morning I train with Chatri and Nueng at 9am.  I fight on November 28, 2009 in China.

SG Pro: Brodinho, you trained under Professor Gordo in Evolve Brazil and now that you are permanently in Singapore, you are training under Professor Gordinho. How is it like training under two of the best instructors that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer?

Brodinho: I am have so lucky.  I have the best teachers in the worlds for BJJ and Muay Thai.  I learn every day.  I am improve every day.  They teach technique and details.  So technical.  I am so have luck. Gordo and Gordinho is best from Brazil.

SG Pro: How has teaching in Evolve MMA alongside some of the world’s best, changed your life?

Brodinho:  I am so have lucky!  In Brazil, I train with BJJ World Champions every day.  Nothing new.  In Singapore, I train with BJJ and Muay Thai World Champions every day.  I am learning so fast.  I improve so much.  My teachers push me and teach me.  Thank you for Gordinho, Nueng, Papa, Chatri, Lui, Tommy, Neelan, Brian, Josh, Oliver, and all the instructors.  My team make me better.  This is my family.  My students make me better too.  Evolve is my life and my family forever.

SG Pro: You were seen rolling around with your students and sharing tips and techniques with them. Most of the Evolve students we speak to talks of you as a jovial man who always make the effort to greet them when they enter the gym and as someone who is very approachable and that they see you as a friend rather than just an instructor. What are your thoughts?

Brodinho: Thank you for Gordinho and Chatri.  Everybody want to be instructor at Evolve now.  In Brazil, they have many Black Belt who want to come to Evolve.  But Gordinho and Chatri don’t let.  For them, only the best can come.  The best fighters who are the best teachers and who are the nice people.  I think Evolve have the best teachers in the world.  All the Evolve instructors like each other a lot.  This is family.  My students is my family too.  Gordinho and Chatri care about everybody a lot.  This why Evolve is family.  Love for everybody and learning together.  Evolve is family.

SG Pro: Beside you and Professor Gordinho, two of your best friends, Mundials World Championship Silver Medalist, Almiro Barros and multi time Mundials World Champion, Antonio Braga are also Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors at Evolve. With such a strong instructors team, do you see any of your students competing more in both local and regional grappling tournaments and events?

Brodinho:  Yes, the Evolve team have champion in first tournament in Thailand.  Everybody is getting better.  In future, Evolve will win a lot.  My students will be best in Asia.  Evolve is best already.  Our family will have stronger and better.  Best teacher is make best students.

SG Pro: Are you getting used to living in Singapore and used to the culture here?

Brodinho:  Singapore is nice.  Brazil is my home, but now Singapore is my home too.  I want stay here forever.  Everybody so nice.  Evolve family help me so much.

SG Pro: We heard that you are really good at UFC Undisputed! So which is your favourite weight class to play and who is your favourite fighter to use? Or have you already created yourself in the Create a Fighter mode?

Brodinho:  I play a lot.  I like for video games.  Andersen Silva is my favorite on the UFC game.

SG Pro: When a couple of our readers knew that SG Pro will be conducting an interview with you. They requested to ask a couple of questions so here goes;
What is the best way to beat an opponent who is bigger and strong than you in a Jiu-Jitsu competition? (eg: absolute division)

Brodinho:  Technique make for win.  If you better technique than opponent, you win.  Practice everything.  The detail is important.  For big and strong, play top game is important.  For submission, take the back and choke.

SG Pro: When injured, do you completely stop training? if you still train what is your training regime?

Brodinho:  No  I don’t like to stop.  If I hurt bad, I stop.  If I hurt no bad, I try to something.  Swimming and other physical preparation.   If no fight, I train 1x a day in the Fighters Program at Evolve.  If I have fight, I have 8 week preparation with 2x training every day.  BJJ and Muay Thai.  Some wrestling and some MMA.  I focus most on BJJ and Muay Thai.  I eat protein shake and vitamins.  I do running too.  I do FightShape too.  Everything is preparation.

SG Pro: What is the one piece of advice you can give for improving your Jiu-Jitsu game at any skill level?

Brodinho:  Train consistent. If you come every week, you will better.  If you don’t come every week, it is more time to be better.  2-3x one week, then be better for your jiu-jitsu.  If more training, then better more.  Evolve have the best teachers in worlds for you.  So you can improve more fast.

SG Pro: You are well known for your flying armbar and your technique at jumping guard, is there any advice you can give us on how to train for these two techniques?

Brodinho:  My favorite technique is flying triangle.  I do many times in tournament for submission.  Practice it a lot.  This is what I do.

SG Pro: This last question is from one of your student; How do you make really nice pasta? (rumour has it that you made really good pasta!)

Brodinho:  Yes I am good for pasta.  It is cheap and easy to make.  When Braga and I live together, I teach for him the make the pasta.  I do pasta cook a lot.

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll name someone and you will have to describe that person in just seven words or less. Here goes nothing, Professor Gordinho.

Brodinho:  the best in the world

SG Pro: Professor Gordo.

Brodinho:  the best in the world

SG Pro: Antonio Braga Neto.

Brodinho:  he is UFC Champion in future

SG Pro: Almiro Barros.

Brodinho:  very good BJJ, my good friend

SG Pro: Rafael Dos Anjos.

Brodinho:  UFC Champion in future too

SG Pro: 2004 BJJ Mundials.

Brodinho:  Train hard makes victory

SG Pro: 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open.

Brodinho:  Team Evolve is Champion!

SG Pro: Singapore.

Brodinho:  Beautiful country and nice people

SG Pro: Evolve MMA.

Brodinho:  My family is the best in Asia.

SG Pro: Future.

Brodinho:  I want learn every day

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva.

Brodinho:  I am hope Future MMA World Champion

SG Pro: Some really interesting word association there, Brodinho! What advice would you give to all the aspiring Jit-Jitsu practitioners out there?

Brodinho:  Evolve is best teachers here.  Training hard every week, ok?

SG Pro: Any parting words for our readers?

Brodinho:  BJJ and Muay Thai change your life.  This is it.  Evolve is special.  No have academy like Evolve in the world.  Evolve family is champion.  Evolve is for peoples who are champion in their heart.

SG Pro: Brodinho, thank you so much for your time and we hope to hear more from you in the near future!

Brodinho:  Thank you, thank you.  I fight next month in Art of War in China.  I will win for Evolve.  I fight many times next year.  Come train with me!

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Brodinho for finding time to do this interview with us. Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

With a current MMA record of 12 wins, 4 losses, with only 1 of those losses coming via KO. Rafael dos Anjos is a rising superstar in the UFC Lightweight Division and is also a member of the official fight team of Evolve MMA. Based in Rio de Janeiro at Evolve Brazil, Rafael is a BJJ Black Belt with aggressive striking. How aggressive? Check out his match with Rob Emerson at UFC 103 and you will see how good a game plan Rafael had, demolishing Rob Emerson with a series of brutal low leg kicks and earning the unanimous decision victory! Rafael is in town recently to work on his Muay Thai at Evolve Singapore and we managed to secure Rafael’s thoughts on his fight at UC 103 and much more!

SG Pro: Rafael, first of all, welcome to Singapore and thank you for finding the time to do this interview with us! This is our first interview with a UFC fighter and honestly, we are very much honored to have you with us!

Rafael: Thank you for having me here.

SG Pro: First off, congratulations on the victory at UFC 103! We watch the match and one thought came to our mind. Great fight. Four minutes into the first round, amidst the exchange of strikes, Rob Emerson tried to clinch you and throws you towards the cage, you however using a foot, tees off the cage and comes right back to guard! Then in the opening seconds of the third round, we saw you throwing a really great low kick that had Rob Emerson buckling down. Was that your strategy going into the match? Attacking the legs of Rob Emerson and cutting him down?

Rafael: No, I adapted as the fight went on.  Before the fight, the strategy was to take him down and submit him.  But he had better wrestling than I thought.  Also, I saw that he was putting a lot of weight on his front leg.  So I took advantage of it and decided to throw low leg kicks and use my Muay Thai.

Rob Emerson was clearly taken out of his game and was visibly upset after the unanimous decision was awarded to you. Clearly Rob Emerson has come into the fight thinking that you as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt would want to bring the fight to the ground and never had expect you to actually stand up with him. Your thoughts?

Rafael: Yes, my plan was to take him down.  But my stand up is quite good too.

SG Pro: During the UFC 103 weigh ins, you and Rob Emerson had an intense staredown and Dana White had to restraint Emerson. What was in your mind at that very moment?

Rafael: Rob came very close to me and put his face very close to mine.  I was a little angry and I was not going to back down.  I was prepared to destroy him.

SG Pro: Out of your 12 wins, five of them came from submission victories, one via TKO and the remaining five via decision, do you personally prefer to submit an opponent as oppose to knocking them out?

Rafael: I like to submit people more.

SG Pro: All three of your UFC fights went to the limit; three rounds. Do you train specifically to go all three rounds and what kind of advice do you have for aspiring fighters who want to work on their cardio?

Rafael: I do cardio training.  I run uphill.  I also do a lot of strength and conditioning.  I usually do it 3x per week in addition to my training in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Wrestling.

SG Pro: Let’s move back in time back to UFC Fight Night 18 where you fought a tough fight against Tyson Griffin. Even though you lost the fight via unanimous decision, you had Tyson Griffin in several submission holds and the fight won “Fight of the Night” honors. Tell us your thoughts on the fight.

Rafael: I had a leg lock on him and I thought he would tap.  It was a very tough fight.  He has a very fast pace and great cardio.

SG Pro: And back to UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar, you took Jeremy Stephens to the limit only to get KO by an uppercut in the opening seconds of the third round. That is by far the only loss in your career where it is not a decision loss. If you have the chance, would you want to take on Jeremy Stephens again and avenge that loss?

Rafael:  I don’t mind, but I want to fight the best fighters in the world.  Right now, there are plenty of people who are superstars like Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez, and Clay Guida.  I want to fight any of those guys.

SG Pro: You were the Lightweight Champion in Fury FC, Brazil’s top MMA promotion. A promotion where Evolve MMA instructors, Antonio Braga Neto and Leandro Issa also fought in. How was the competition like in Fury FC?

Rafael:  The fighters in Fury FC are elite fighters.  They are very tough.

SG Pro: You were on a rampage in Brazilian MMA promotions like Fury FC, XFC,      Juiz de For a, Arena BH among others. Tell us, have you ever dreamt that one day that you’ll be fighting in the UFC?

Rafael:  Being the UFC Champion has always been my dream.

SG Pro: How is training with the Evolve-Sityodtong Muay Thai team like? Has training with them added a new dimension to your already devastating striking arsenal?

Rafael:  The best Muay Thai fighters and teachers in the world are at Evolve. I have learned a lot.  They are very technical and give a lot of details.

SG Pro: You also train in Evolve Brazil, where Professor Gordo is the head instructor. Share with us how is training under the inventor of the half guard like.

Rafael:  Gordo is the best teacher.  He is a great friend.  He is my main cornerman and he is always very relaxed and calm.

SG Pro: You are going be 25 this coming 26th October, what will your birthday wish this year?

Rafael:  I want to win all my fights in the UFC.  I love fighting in the UFC.  My dream is to get a title shot and win it.  But let’s see how my next fights go.  I am still trying to find my place in the UFC.  I believe that I can be World Champion.  I also want to bring exciting fights for the fans.

SG Pro: How has your stay in Singapore been thus far? Has the Evolve Team brought you around?

Rafael:  Singapore is great.  The tropical weather is like Brazil.  I like Singapore.

SG Pro: Will there be any chance of you holding a MMA Seminar at Evolve MMA in the near future?

Rafael:  Yes, I plan to do an MMA seminar during my stay at Evolve.

SG Pro: Who would you want to face next in the UFC Lightweight Division besides the current UFC Lightweight Champion, B.J. Penn?

Rafael:  I want to fight Nate Diaz.  I think it would be a very exciting fight.  But I am willing to fight anyone that UFC wants me to fight.  I am a warrior.

SG Pro: Who is your favourite fighter and why?

Rafael: I love Minotauro.  He is the Rocky Balboa of Brazil.  He is very technical with a great chin.  He has a big heart.

SG Pro: You trained under Professor Gordo in Evolve Brazil and now that you are in Singapore, you are training under Professor Gordinho. How is it like training under two of the best instructors that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer?

Rafael:  They are both the best with super technique.  Gordo is more slow paced.  Gordinho is more fast paced.

SG Pro: When we told a couple of our loyal readers that we’ll be interviewing a UFC fighter, they all clamber to ask for their questions to be answered, we choose three of them and here goes; if weight class isn’t an issue, who would you want to face and why?

Rafael:  I would love to fight Lyoto Machida.  He has a different style.  He is unique.  It would be fun to fight him.

SG Pro: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Rafael:  UFC Champion

SG Pro: Who was your toughest opponent thus far in your career?

Rafael:  Tyson Griffin

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll name someone and you will have to describe that person in just seven words or less. Here goes nothing, Professor Gordo.

Rafael: Good friend, good teacher.  Serious.

SG Pro: Jeremy Stephens.

Rafael:  Heavy hands

SG Pro: Tyson Griffin.

Rafael:  Good cardio, good fighter

SG Pro: Rob Emerson.

Rafael:  Heavy hands

SG Pro: Professor Gordinho

Rafael:  Good friend and good teacher.

SG Pro: B.J. Penn

Rafael:  The best in the world right now

SG Pro: The Sityodtong Muay Thai Team

Rafael:  Best Muay Thai in the world

SG Pro: Evolve MMA.

Rafael:  My new home

SG Pro: Fury FC.

Rafael:  It gave me the passport to UFC

SG Pro: UFC.

Rafael:  Best in the world

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Rafael Dos Anjos.

Rafael:  The future UFC Lightweight Champion

SG Pro: Some really interesting word association there, Rafael. With that we come to a concluding end to your interview. Any parting words for our readers?

Rafael:  Train hard.  Learn from great teachers.  Believe in your dreams.

SG Pro: Rafael, thank you so much for your time and we hope to see you fighting soon in the UFC again!

Rafael:  Thank you.

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank UFC Fighter and Evolve Fight Team member, Rafael Dos Anjos for finding time to do this interview with us.  Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!