Lightweight Tournament, December 11th, 2007
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 8 December, 2007 – “We are doing everything possible to provide free events and obtain our revenue through advertisers rather than the fans,” says RioHeroes President Jason Atkins. “We feel this is the right way to establish that we are the world’s only fight league built by fighters for the fans.” Atkins promises RioHeroes 13 will deliver the best tournament of the year. “In RH 13, two former RioHeroes champions will challenge each other for the final championship in 2007. This event is going to propel us to an even greater level in 2008,” Atkins said.
Indeed, the battle for the lightweight belt is going to be a truly awe inspiring display of Vale Tudo. The first match pits Ivanildo “Cafu” Santos versus Leiarte Azevedo, in a rematch from RioHeroes 9. Cafu is the best student on the Joao Werdini team who is especially dangerous with his head butts and dynamic kicks. The Capoeira master claimed the RioHeroes 6 title, but was unable to continue his first bout with Azevedo after a suspicious eye-gouge sent him home early. Now Cafu wants revenge. In the second qualifier, crowd favorite and former Middleweight Champ Flavio “Sobrevivente” Alvaro drops down to the lightweight division in the hopes of reclaiming his lost glory. The “Survivor” is matched up against newcomer and street fighter Ivan “Pit Bull” Celis.
In the third fight of the evening, Paulo Eduardo da Silva, aka Bananada, is looking to attempt to avenge his RioHeroes 6 loss to Udi Lima, a submission specialist whose most dangerous weapon is the triangulo. But Bananada is no slouch. A calm, cold-blooded fighter, Bananada is a great floor tactician who will prove a tough test for Lima. In the final qualifier, Andre Luis de Oliveira, the once night club brawler is pitted against Miguel Angel Duran Avad, who began his Muay Thai training in Spain, then honed his skills in Holland and Thailand. RioHeroes referee Jorge Pereira says Avad has his hands full. “This is going to be our most intense battle yet,” adds RioHeroes President Jason Atkins. “We’ve got a lot of big improvements in store for 2008 and RioHeroes 13 is just a taste of what’s to come.”
About RioHeroes.comRioHeroes.com is an entertainment website that showcases Vale Tudo fighting in its purest form. Broadcasting live from a steel cage in the heart of Brazil, RioHeroes fighters compete without gloves, rounds, or time limits in no-holds barred action. The league embraces the highest levels of honor and integrity common among all Vale Tudo masters.