Read on for a recap of episode one of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 2...
EXCITING PREMIERE EPISODE PRODUCES SEVEN MEMBERS OF
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER BRASIL 2 CAST
• Pedro Iriê, Márcio “Pedra”, William “Patolino”, Thiago “Marreta”, Neilson Gomes, Luiz “Besouro,” and Tiago “Unstoppable” win elimination fights to become the first cast members of the Brazilian reality show’s second season.
• New to the second season is the presence of family and friends that could attend the live fights, cheer and celebrate with the fighters.
• Besides determining the rest of the cast who will move into the house, the next episode (which will air on March 24th) also determines the members of Team Nogueira and Team Werdum.
The reality show The Ultimate Fighter Brasil returned to the screens of Globo for another season on Sunday, March 17, this time with a group of welterweight fighters in search of a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In the first episode of the second season, 14 fighters climbed into the Octagon to compete in seven qualifying matches, the first half of the final list. At the end of two rounds of battles - with the possibility of a third in case of a tie - the finalists emerged: Pedro Irie, Márcio "Pedra," William "Patolino," Luiz "Besouro", Thiago "Marreta," Neilson Gomes, Luiz "Besouro "and Tiago Alves "Unstoppable."
An important innovation in this season compared to the last was the presence of families, friends and training partners during fights. Repeating a model that has only been adopted in 2013 for versions of the reality series around the world, not only would the guests be able to watch and cheer, but also visit the participants in their rooms before the fights. The result was a thrilling episode, as viewers could also see even more motivated aspiring UFC fighters.
In the next episode, the last seven fights will determine the final list of 14 welterweight fighters who will move into the house of The Ultimate Fighter and fight for a contract with the organization and the coveted title of "Ultimate Fighter." Furthermore, heavyweight stars Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum will choose their teams, which will be guided with the help of their assistant coaches. Team Werdum is aided by Rafael Cordeiro, Fabio Gurgel, Kenny Johnson and Felipe Werdum, while Team Nogueira has Luiz Dorea, Vitor Miranda, Sheymon Moraes, Everaldo Penco and Eric Albarracin handling assistant coaching duties.
Here are the results of the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2:
Wande Lopes VS Pedro Iriê
There was not even time for the fight to develop in any other way but standing. In the beginning of the battle, Iriê connected the first punch, and the strength of the punch knocked his opponent down immediately. Lopes recovered from the knockdown and was up immediately, but again, Irie’s power gave no chance to his opponent, resulting in a beautiful knockout.
"The boy (Iriê) is really a warrior", commented coach Fabrício Werdum, impressed with the power of the fighter from Bragança Paulista in São Paulo. Although he comes from judo and jiu jitsu, Iriê considers himself an aggressive striker, and just as he did with Wande Lopes, he has been knocking out his opponents in his recent professional fights.
Official result - Win by Pedro Iriê via knockout in the first round.
Daniel “Gelo” VS Márcio “Pedra”
The combatants exchanged punches while standing, with Gelo connecting on good straight punches to the face of Pedra. The man from Belford Roxo, however, did not leave it at that, putting his opponent down and taking his back, sinking in a rear naked choke that forced Gelo to tap and quit.
With four wins and no losses in his professional career, the 23-year-old Pedra trains in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro alongside with his future castmate on TUF Brazil 2, William Patolino.
Official result - Win by Márcio "Pedra" via submission (Rear naked choke) in the first round.
Roberto “Corvo” VS William “Patolino”
Early in the fight, Patolino started strong, taking Corvo down with a double leg and working from the top. Patolino landed an elbow on Corvo's forehead, instantly opening a deep cut. The bleeding forced the referee to stop the fight, and after the doctor’s analysis, Corvo was not allowed to continue. Victory by TKO.
From São João de Meriti, Patolino impressed in the first stage of tryouts with his charisma and his cartwheels. Always smiling and with a remarkable personality, the 21-year-old man has trained Muay Thai since he was 13, and he ambitiously sees himself in the future fighting at the top of the class in the UFC.
Official result - Win by William "Patolino" via TKO in the first round.
Gil Freitas VS Thiago “Marreta”
Although both fighters began their clash aggressively, it was Gil Freitas that did better in the first round, getting Thiago down and, showing great strength, keeping it on the ground. Marreta managed to get up and respond with good shots, but soon the whistle decreed the end of the initial frame.
In the second round, Marreta returned with more ease, using his reach to his advantage. Gil got the takedown, but could not hold the opponent as well, and with the fight standing, Marreta continued taking advantage. Marreta's front kicks were making the difference, and Gil began to show signs of fatigue.
In the third round, the picture was similar: Gil started with takedowns, but Marreta used his reach and fitness to dominate standing. Freitas, on the other hand, showed clear signs of fatigue, and Marreta stuffed takedowns, reversed positions and continued dominating on top. The result was a victory for Thiago by unanimous decision.
At the end of the clash, Marreta hugged his mother and his fiancée - who is already set for the wedding very soon. Marreta comes from the City of God in Rio de Janeiro, has his base in Muay Thai, and currently teaches the sport in two gyms. Besides fighting, another passion in the life of Thiago is parachute jumping and he has been a member of the paratrooper brigade of the Army for seven years.
Official result - Win by Thiago "Marreta" via split decision after three rounds.
Felipe Olivieri VS Neilson Gomes
Neilson Gomes took his mother to watch him fight live for the first time on The Ultimate Fighter. Despite clearly being nervous, with a rosary in her hands as she waited for a win by her son, she got lucky. With sharp boxing and an efficient game of takedowns he did enough to be declared the winner by unanimous decision after three rounds.
In the first round, takedown attempts from Neilson were abundant. However, Felipe, with agility, could escape the positions and return the clash to the feet. In the second round, the man from Bahia continued seeking the takedowns, snapping some good shots at Felipe, who was the most versatile with the fight standing, using kicks and knees. In the third round, the scenario was similar: Neilson taking down Olivieri and Olivieri escaping with exciting brawls for the dominant position. In the end, Neilson had his hand raised.
Neilson comes from Paulo Afonso, in Bahia, but lives and trains in Salvador - at Champions gym – the same gym former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos trains at. He has 14 wins with only 2 losses in his professional career in MMA.
Official result - Win by Neilson Gomes via decision after three rounds.
Robson “Negão” VS Luiz “Besouro”.
In the sixth clash of the reality show, it was the experience of Besouro that made the difference. With good movement and good timing of takedowns, the man from Rio dominated the fight throughout. An accidental illegal elbow by Besouro forced a brief interruption but, examined by doctors, Robson returned to the clash and finished the first round dominated on the mat.
The second round was not much different, with Besouro maintaining dominance over his adversary in the fight both standing and on the ground. The unanimous decision came after two rounds, and Besouro became the sixth member to earn a place in The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 2.
Besouro trains at team RFT, in Rio de Janeiro. Márcio Cromado, the leader of the team, made sure to attend the fight, cheering enthusiastically for Besouro. With 11 victories in his professional career, Besouro is an experienced fighter. "He showed to be perhaps the more prepared fighter in the competition," praised “Minotauro” Nogueira after the battle.
Official result - Win by Luiz "Besouro" via unanimous decision after two rounds
Fight 7 – Tiago Alves “Unstoppable” VS Weguimar Big Big
The action began to heat up when Tiago hit a nice high kick, but with the fight standing, it was Big Big fighting better early in the first round. With the unfolding of the struggle, however, Alves managed to take his opponent to the ground and use his impressive credentials in jiu-jitsu, keeping Big Big from dominating from the bottom.
In the second round, it was again the excellence of the gentle art that made the difference, and Tiago, without losing control on top while seeking a submission, managed to lock in a kimura that ended the clash and provided his entry into the house.
At 33 and from São Paulo, Tiago is still a "newbie" in MMA. With only three professional fights - all victories - he only started fighting professionally in 2012 . In jiu-jitsu, however, his experience is not lacking, and Tiago brings several national and international titles accumulated since he started practicing the gentle art at the age of 20 into the house.
Official result - Win by Tiago Alves via submission (kimura) in the second round
The participants fighting for the final places in the house on the next episode are:
Bruno Dias “Jacaré” (11-3-1), 26, Bragança Paulista, SP
Cleiton Duarte “Foguete” (12-1-0), 32, Rio Grande, RS
David Vieira da Silva (4-0-0), 31, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Henrique Batista “Sucuri” (4-0-0), 27, Linhares, ES
Juliano Wandalen “Ninja” (7-3-0), 35, Blumenau, SC
Leandro Silva “Buscapé” (5-0-0), 26, São Paulo, SP
Leonardo Santos (11-3-0), 33, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Luciano Contini, (8-1-0), 29, Curitiba, PR
Ronaldo Oliveira Silva “Rony Silva” (3-0-0), 26, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia
Santiago Ponzinibbio (18-1-0), 26, La Plata, Argentina
Thiago Silva “Bel” (9-3-1), 22, Curitiba, PA
Thiago de Lima Santos “Marreta” (8-1-0), 29, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Viscardi Andrade (13-5-0), 29, São Paulo, SP
Yan Cabral (10-0-0), 29, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
For more information about the show, bios, videos and photos, visit tuf.tv
