OntheMat.com covered the event to show that the Brazilian MMA scene is growing and deserves respect which has not been done properly yet. Gold Fighters Championship – New MMA concept in Brazil How would the land of MMA (Brazil) compare with the happenings of last months in the fight’s World? I mean- with leagues, re-births of events and all kinds of good will popping up mainly in North America, the South American country couldn’t stay stopped during this situation. Well, I don’t know if the promoters of GFC held last May 20th had this idea in mind, but their new concept of their event organization was perfect that Saturday night. With each time less international websites and even Brazilian Magazines giving less props to the events held in Brazil; OntheMat.com covered the event to show that the Brazilian MMA scene is growing and deserves respect which has not been done properly yet. Taking a look on the card, we realized the presence of SHOOTO Japan veterans and a UFC competitor among others, so the guarantee of a good show was nearly 100% when the fights started. Novice fighters in first fight gave me a wrong impression of their match with shy attacks and attempts done by Wesley Cavalcante (Gracie Barra-Pitbull) and Carlos Araujo (Mario Miglioli). They threw punches in the air to reach the correct distance and the clinch was a rule of this fight. I realized that they – for seconds – forgot to punch each other when they had opportunities, preferring the clinch. I already lost my motivation, when Cavalcante pressed Araujo against the neutral corner and they started an open trade of punches. Cavalcante connected often and Araujo was out on his feet while referee stopped the fight by TKO at R1. The second match displayed to us the new powerhouse project of BTT, his name is Rosimar Toquinho and his power and strength were too much for Renan Moraes (Predator). Toquinho took the fight down and dropped into the Moraes’ full guard. Without hesitation Toquinho lifted Moraes to body-slam, and he repeated it twice without much efficiency, but it was enough to stun Moraes. Then Toquinho got to pass the guard and get the mount from where he landed a few strikes and dominated the right-arm of Moraes to apply an armbar. With the arm bound Moraes reversed the situation and went to the top position, however the armbar became tight enough and he dropped with the back on the mat and Toquinho stretched Moraes’ arm, bending it to the contrary side and forcing Moraes to scream in pain and tapout quickly. The always exciting Jose Aldo Jr. wasn’t this day in the third fight of the card against former undefeated fighter Tiago Minu of Boxer Garra Team. Even though Aldo Jr. won his match, his game on that night was so cautious and the entire match he tried to impose the stand-up action and ate strikes back from Minu, he shot for a clinch and then the takedown. This was not normal for Aldo Jr. who has never refused a frank trade of blows. But his defeat in last match to Luciano Azevedo(at Jungle FC 5th) may have been traumatic, and he preferred a safety win than a ‘beautiful defeat’. Both fighters showed their tools on the feet by low-kicks and hand-strikes. Aldo Jr. connected the first bombs and instead of following it to knock Minu out, he shot and took Minu down. From the half guard of Minu; Aldo Jr. landed some strikes while his corner screamed at him sink an arm-triangle. Minu fought to restore the guard, from where he sunk an armbar that seemed to be tight but Aldo Jr. managed to escape. R2 kept the same with Minu trying to force the fight standing, and Aldo Jr. putting the expectations and Minu down. By the end of this round, the audience booed the fight due to the lack of will of Aldo of trading punching on the feet. Going to all or nothing, Minu opened himself in R3 when tried to press the pace on the feet with a high-kick, Aldo clinched and tried a takedown again. Minu tried to dominate the neck to land knees, but he didn’t and Aldo insisted on grab the Minu’s body to guarantee the victory by decision after 3 rounds. Under 66kgs fighters pleased the crowd with a nice fight show in this duel number #4 when Johnny Eduardo arm-triangled Luta-Livre fighter Aritano Barbosa in R1. They exchanged good moments in the fight before the outcome, while Aritano (a submission fighter) got to connect punches on the feet, Eduardo (a skilled muay thai fighter) dominated the clinch and took the fight down. Aritano tried to sweep, but close to the ropes Johnny used them to pass the Aritano’s guard. They returned to their feet and Johnny sunk an armlock at standing position, they dropped and Aritano freed himself from the submission. On the feet again Aritano shoot to take Eduardo down, this sunk a guillotine choke and rotated. During the movement, Aritano slept and Eduardo was the winner by submission. The ladies fought like men at match number 5 involving BTT’s Ana Maria and tough female-fighter Vanessa Porto. The greater experience of Vanessa was the difference for her to dominate the actions and control her opponent when this was a little better on the fight. Vanessa opened the fight with a huge inside low-kick which shook Ana’s leg. Ana tried to answer in same level, but Vanessa shortened the distance and punched Ana. The frank trade of blows appeared a lot of times between them and each one of these girls had a close moment of finish the fight on the feet by closed-fist. Vanessa connected heavily and knocked down Ana who tried to avoid the flurry of strikes landed by Vanessa. When the fight went to standing, Ana tried to land body-kicks, but they were not strong enough to stop Vanessa’s better game. R2 began quickly once again with a trade of punches- Ana went to the canvas, Vanessa took Ana’s backs and sunk a rear-naked-choke to finish a very exciting female fight. BJJ fighters battled like brawlers at contest number #6, BTT’s Danillo “Indio” Villefort had an eminent moment to knock Rafael Sapo down after a trade of bombs on the feet. Staggering Sapo avoided the strikes of Villefort and recovered himself by punching in the same way. In a quick movement the fight hit the ground and Villefort ceded the mount position. Sapo, bleeding, mauled Villefort with several strikes and the referee stopped the contest. While Sapo celebrated his win, a downed Villefort was close to me and I was able to hear his words (talking to himself) of not believing the outcome that the fight took. Fights #7 and #8 didn’t please the crowd at all, mainly the seventh fight where Alexandre “Baixinho” Barros won a boring majority decision over Alex Gaze of Boxe Thai. Both fighters avoided jeopardizing themselves in the whole fight. Fight #8 was a re-match between Fabricio “Morango” Camoes and Luis “Besouro” Jr.- and Besouro kept his dominance adding his second victory on this challenge. The fight also wasn’t very good like the others, and both fighters showed limitations during the three rounds. Besouro scored more takedowns during it, while Morango got it only once. Final of the match and 3-0 by decision to Besouro. The Peruvian fighter and Nova Uniao representative Tony DeSouza has fought in Brazil often. And on this fight against local 8-3 fighter Fabricio Monteiro, he added more one victory to his resume. Monteiro is a tough kickboxer, with a wrestling and bjj background. So Tony used his wrestling to double-leg Monteiro first- on the ground he controlled Monteiro, who punched from the bottom while Tony tried to work a submission attack. The fight kept itself on the ground more than the others ones did, and the Monteiro’s corner-man complained a lot to the referee. The fight was re-started standing, and Monteiro tried to land his arsenal of kicks (body and low), some of them connected and Tony was forced to shoot without accuracy. Monteiro defended it easily and kept the fight standing. To box against a fighter specialist like Monteiro was dangerous for Tony, so he wanted to keep the fight down. Close to the R1’s end, Tony clinched, but Monteiro managed to take the back of Tony on the feet, the bell was nearly sounding when Monteiro slammed Tony by suplex and R1 finished.
At R2 Monteiro was better on the feet, even though he didn’t hurt Tony; the kicks were primarily to force Tony to commit a mistake. However Tony didn’t, and took the fight down again from where he worked some ground & pound while Monteiro tried to punch from the bottom. One of the Tony’s corner-man asked Tony to keep working from the top. But Monteiro was a tough fighter to connect a punch and he grabbed the arms of Tony to force the referee to stand the fight.
The R3 was the same of the others and the decision victory was really close to Tony, who ground & pounded Monteiro and turned to sink a leg-lock. Monteiro defended well and punched the body of Tony which was totally unprotected. Nothing more than that happened and Tony logged the majority decision after three rounds.