The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 3 - Results and Updates

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[Keithlewis]

The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 3 - Fighter Cast Announced


The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced on Wednesday the names of 32 middleweights and heavyweights and selected to compete on the third season of his Brazilian reality show, The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 3. In the first two episodes of the show, which can be seen on UFC Fight Pass starting March 9, athletes in each weight category will fight each other. Only the 16 winners will move to the Ultimate Fighter house, where they will remain confined for 6 weeks training together.

Once in the house, the fighters will be divided into two teams of eight, led by UFC icons and sworn enemies Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen. Coaches will have the help of assistant coaches, and the strengthening of world champions Isabel Salgado (beach volleyball) and Hortencia Marcari (basketball) , respectively.

Each week the athletes of each category will meet in the Octagon and determine who advances in the competition. The two finalists from each division will fight in a UFC live event in Brazil, which will also bring the long awaited battle between Sonnen and Wanderlei.


Competitors who appear in the first two episodes of the Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 are:


HEAVYWEIGHTS:

Alexandre "Big Baby" Machado (6-1-0), 30, Niterói, RJ
Antonio Carlos Junior "Face Shoe" (3-0-0), 23, João Pessoa, PB
Antonio Paulo Branjão "Mountain" (3-0-0), 25, Uba, MG
Bruno Silva "Armored" (9-4-0), 24, João Pessoa, PB
Edgar Castaldelli Son "Magrão" (12-4-0), 34, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Ewerton Rock "Giant" (3-1-0), 31, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Diego Felipe Dantas de Oliveira "Monster" (6-0-0), 31, Natal, RN
Fernando Camolês (4-1-0), 27, São Caetano do Sul, SP
Goncalo Salgado (7-2-0), 33, Portugal
Guilherme Viana (4-1-0), 27, Porto Alegre, RS
Job Kleber Melo "Cape Job" (3-1-0), 34, Rio de Janeiro , RJ
Jollyson Sosaleta Francisco (2-0-2), 30, Recife, PE
Marcos Rogerio de Lima "Bigfoot" (11-2-2), 28, São Paulo, SP
Richardson Moreira (7-1-0), 29, Campinas, SP
Thiago " Big Monster " (11-3-1), 26 , Rio de Janeiro , RJ
Vitor Miranda " Lex Luthor " (9-3-0 ), 34, Joinville, SC


MIDDLEWEIGHTS:

Cristiano Ribeiro Lopes Pontes "Rust" (4-1-0), 34, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Douglas Moura Silva (3-1-0), 29, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Giuliano Brescianini Arante (5-1-0), 29, Campo Grande, MS
Guilherme Vasconcelos " Bomba" (3-1-0), 27, Belo Horizonte, MG
Ismael de Jesus "Groundhog" (9-4-1), 33, Goiania, GO
Joilton Santos "The Pilgrim" (9-2-1), 21, Campina Grande, PB
José Roberto Rocha ( 6-0-0 ), 26, Uba, MG
Marcio Alexandre Junior "Lyoto" (11-0-0), 24, Florianópolis, SC
Marcus Perez Echeimberg " Maluko " ( 3-0-0 ) , 24 , São Paulo, SP
Paulo Henrique Costa " rubberband " ( 3-0-0 ) , 22 , Belo Horizonte, MG
Pedro Paulino " Vinegar " ( 3-0-0 ) , 29 , Corumbá, MS
Ricardo Abreu " Demented " ( 4-0-0 ) , 29 , São Paulo, SP
Wagner Silva Gomes " Wagnão " ( 3-0-0 ) , 26 , Viçosa, MG
Warlley Alves de Andrade ( 6-0-0 ) , 22 , Governador Valadares, MG
Wendell Oliveira Marques ( 23-7-0 ), 31, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Willian Steindorf ( 3-0-0 ), 26, Porto Alegre, RS


The 32 participants were chosen from hundreds of applicants who auditioned for the first round of the program, held in Rio de Janeiro in November 2013. These fighters came from various corners of Brazil in search of a chance to compete for a UFC contract . They passed professional analyzes, interviews and medical examinations, as well as their fighting skills standing and on the ground.

The third edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil promises many surprises and one of the UFC's biggest rivalries.

"I attended the other two editions of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil and I can say this for sure, we have differentiated athletes and can not help but get involved with the life story of each one of these guys. As for living with Chael Sonnen, could not be otherwise. A guy who speaks ill of my country , my people and then come say it is promoting does not deserve my consideration, much less friendship. This will be clearly visible in the program, "emphasized Wanderlei Silva.

"My team started at a disadvantage just because I speak English and them, Portuguese. But the athlete's willpower surprised me . They were thirsty for learning and did a great job . I can say that Wanderlei Silva also made their role even believe he was infinitely better coach than fighter is, after all, all your good results inside the ring were a big lie, " said Sonnen.

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TUF Brasil 3: Episode 1 Recap

Courtesy of Dan Downes - UFC.com



The episode opens with an introduction to this season’s format. There will be 32 fighters (mix of middleweights and heavyweights) fighting for 16 spots in The Ultimate Fighter house. split between the heavyweight and middleweight division. The coaches this season will be Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. Dana White calls it, “The biggest rivalry in the history of The Ultimate Fighter.” Wanderlei says that he’s Chael has insulted him and his country and that, “He messed with the wrong person.” Ever the gentleman, West Linn’s bad boy describes Wanderlei as “very peculiar,” and that the Axe Murderer should have retired from MMA a long time ago. Another wrinkle to this season is the presence of two celebrity assistant coaches. Team Sonnen has retired Brazilian basketball star Hortencia Marcari and Team Silva has beach volleyball pro Isabel Salgado. After the coaches give some words of encouragement, we head directly to the preliminary fights.

Goncalo Salgado vs. Job Cleber

The first heavyweight fighter we meet is Portugal’s Goncalo Salgado. Former bodyguard to soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo calls Salgado to give him some motivation. Cleber doesn’t have any celebrity friends, but he is a police officer who started MMA as a way to help him on the streets.

Cleber opens the round with a body kick, and is immediately taken down. He quickly gets back to his feet, but eats some hammerfists for his trouble. He drops down for a single leg, but can’t finish. Salgado keeps hammering away at his opponent’s face, and Cleber finally lets go of the leg. They break and Salgado connects with a big knee. Cleber tries to retreat and recover, but the Portuguese offers no quarter. Salgado hits Cleber with two hard knees to the body and some nasty elbows. Wobbly, Cleber throws two last ditch punches. The left hook lands, but the follow up right knocks Salgado out. As he’s falling over, Cleber finishes the job with a punt right to the face. Joe Cleber is the first person to enter the house with an impressive comeback TKO.

Paulo Costa vs Jose Roberto

The first middleweight fight is between Paulo Costa and Jose Roberto. Costa has spent a lot of time in the gym, but he also seems to spend a lot of time grooming. His brother calls him “very vain” and says Costa worries too much about doing his eyebrows and hair. Roberto is an undefeated fighter who wants to succeed on TUF to honor the memory of his father.

ROUND ONE

Costa times Roberto’s first kick and brings him to the mat. After trying to advance and not getting anywhere, Costa stacks his opponent up and starts bringing the ground and pound. Punches and elbows are flying and all Roberto can do is hold on tight. It looks like Costa wants to bring it to the feet as he stands up outside Roberto’s guard, but he quickly decides against it. He dives right back in and continues his assault. Roberto attempts a triangle, but Costa keeps beating him up from top position until the round ends.

ROUND TWO

Battered and bruised under both eyes, Roberto opens with a double leg attempt. Costa counters with a guillotine and it’s in tight. Costa squeezes and the fight ends only seconds into the second round. Both coaches are impressed with Costa’s performance. Chael even describes him as “full of life and energy.” Maybe the American Gangster likes his manicured eyebrows.

Ewerton Rocah vs. Jollyson Francisco

Nicknamed “Gigante,” Rocah is a member of a Brazilian Special Forces unit. He fights with no remorse and claims to treat MMA like the streets -- always ready for battle. Jollyson talks about his more humble beginnings as the son of a vendor.

ROUND ONE

Francisco plays on the outside using his boxing. Rocah tries to land some power kicks, but they miss. After Francisco lands a solid jab, cross combo, Gigante rushes to counter. He gets too close and walks right into a takedown. Francisco immediately starts advancing position and goes for a north/south choke. Rocah escapes the submission attempt, but now he’s still on his back. Francisco elbows to the body, moves to mount and starts working the arm triangle. Rocah initially defends, but he’s only able to hold out for 11 seconds. Francisco moves into the house with a submission at the 2:34 mark.

Douglas Moura vs. Joilton Santos

Moura is married to Brazilian boxing champion Duda Yankovich. Joilton has excellent taste in headwear. Wanderlei calls this “the most technical fight of the night.” Both fighters are evenly matched and the momentum keep transitioning back and forth. Tied after two round, it heads to the sudden victory round. Much like the rest of the fight, it’s extremely close and Joilton takes the split decision.

Felipe Dantas vs. Edgar Castaldelli

Nicknamed “Monstro,” Dantas quit his job to be on TUF. Castaldelli’s wife is pregnant with their first son and he feels bad that he’s not there for her.

ROUND ONE

The two exchange hands in the middle. Dantas crosses and Castaldelli answers back with a solid counter. Dantas low kicks, but Castaldelli grabs it and pulls the fight to the ground. It then cuts to the highlights. Chael compliments Castaldelli on his boxing defense. Wanderlei calls the fight a battle between Monstro’s standup and Castaldelli’s jiu jitsu. Marcari reveals that some of Castaldelli’s punches even scared her sitting cageside. We see a bloodied Monstro saved by the referee and Castaldelli moves into the house with a TKO win.

Cristiano Pontes vs. Wagner Silva

Pontes is a well-versed martial artist with training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and Capoeira. Silva reveals that after his divorce, he moved to Rio to begin his fight career.

ROUND ONE

Pontes works his jab and moves in and out quickly. Silva misses a few kicks and then tries to close the distance. His movement is met with a hard left hook. SIlva counters with a body kick, but Pontes blocks and the two clinch up. Silva drops down for a single leg and finishes the takedown. After some punches and short elbows, he moves to mount. Pontes tries to escape, but he gives up his back. Silva flattens him out, locks in the rear naked choke and secures the tap at the 2:54 mark. Despite the first round victory, Chael says that Silva needs a lot of work and has “a lot of rough edges.”

William Steindorf vs. Ricardo Abreu

Not only is Steindorf the first multi-colored hair fighter on the season, he’s also the first to drop the classic, “My opponent will have to kill me to stop me” line. Nicknamed “Demente,” Abreu earned the title because of his hyperactive nature.

ROUND ONE

Abreu comes out aggressive and backs Steindorf down. Demente lands a heavy cross and the two tie up. Steindorf slips out the back and grabs a waistlock, but Abreu counters and lands a takedown of his own. Abreu punches from half guard and moves to full mount. Steindorf tries to buck him off, but he can’t seem to get any momentum. He tries a couple more times and finally rolls his opponent over, but Demente grabs an armbar. It’s in deep. Steindorf refuses to tap and Abreau just keeps on wrenching it tighter. Amazingly, Steindorf escapes and takes Abreu’s back. He’s too high on his back, though, and falls off. Abreu immediately begins starts punching and comes close to finishing the fight, but the round ends just in time for Steindorf to survive.

ROUND TWO

Not set to coast on his first round performance, Abreu open the second with bad intentions. He’s throws heavy punches and every single one of them is connecting. He lands a head kick, winds up and scores a second one. He then shoots a double leg and advances position to full mount. Demente keeps punching and Steindorf has nowhere to go. You hear Chael in the background asking for the fight to end and mercifully the ref steps in and stops it.

Guilherme Viana vs. Antonio Carlos Jr.

Fighting since the day he was born, Guilherme Viana feels like he could be Matt Hamill’s Brazilian cousin. Antonio Carlos Jr. earned his nickname “Cara de sapato,” (literally shoe face) because of his distinguished chin.

ROUND ONE

Both fighters take the center of the Octagon with great head movement and footwork. After the two exchange some strikes Carlos shoots in for a double leg. Viana defends and the two clinch up. Carlos attempts a second double leg and this one is successful. Viana looks for a kimura from bottom position while Carlos elbows his body. There’s a scramble, but Carlos is still able to keep top position and attacks from half guard. After some time there, Viana sits up and finally make it back to his feet. His small victory is short lived and Carlos throws an overhand right that staggers Viana. He goes for the finish, but the ref steps in before Viana absorbs any more damage. It looks like a questionable stoppage, but once they sit Guilherme down and talk to him, he has no idea what happened. He asks how the first round went and if the second will be starting soon.

The episode ends with a sneak peek into next week’s episode. Who takes the last eight spots in the house? Who will be the number one pick? What does Chael say to make Wanderlei threaten to quit the show? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

[Keithlewis]

TUF Brasil 3: Episode 2 Recap

Courtesy of Dan Downes - UFC.com



Richard Moreira vs. Alexandre Machado

Moreira aka “Rick Monstro,” wastes no time and rushes Machado immediately. He starts punching and kneeing at a frenetic pace. Machado tries to tie up and hit a judo throw, but Moreira keeps on throwing leather. One of his uppercuts lands flush, Machado falls to the mat and the ref calls the fight barely a minute into the first. As Chael Sonnen puts it, Moreira’s performance can be summed up as, “He punched hard. He punches with bad intentions, and he didn’t stop.”

Marcus Perez Eichemberg vs. Guilherme de Vasconcelos

Perez is a big Bruce Lee fan and self-described nerd. Guilherme is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion who says that fighting has ruined his modeling career because it gave him cauliflower ears.

Eichemberg opens the fight with a head kick. Vasconcelos counters with a double leg, but finds himself in a standing guillotine. He pulls his head out and the two exchange knees inside the clinch. Eichemberg goes for a hip toss; Vasconcelos rolls through and comes back with a successful double leg. He starts punching from top position and Eichemberg can’t seem to get his guard back. Vasconcelos advances to side mount and continues his onslaught. Eichemberg gives up his back and finds himself in a deep rear naked choke attempt. He has nowhere to go and taps out at the 3:07 mark of the first.

Marcus Rogerio vs. Thiago dos Santos

Rogerio talks about how martial arts saved him from a life of drugs. Thiago dos Santos (aka Big Monster) fights for his three children and hasn’t even held his newborn son yet.

Rogerio opens with a head kick. Dos Santos blocks, initiates the clinch and they two are against the fence. The “Big Monster” tries for a single leg takedown, but is rebuffed. He then switches to the double leg. He finishes the takedown, but now finds himself inside a guillotine. Rogerio squeezes and kills off the Big Monster with a first round submission.

Pedro Paulino vs. Ismael de Jesus

Paulino comes from a family of doctors and is currently studying medicine in Bolivia. Claims to find his “inner peace” when competing inside the Octagon. Nicknamed “Groundhog,” Ismael de Jesus trains at Nova Uniao with Jose Aldo and Renan Barao.

Paulino dives in for the takedown instantly. De Jesus counters with a trip and scores a couple punches as Paulino scrambles to his feet. In one of the strangest occurrences in TUF history, Paulino makes a scene and gets the fight stopped. Apparently when Ismael tripped him, his finger popped out of place. The doctors pop his finger back in, but the problem with calling timeout in MMA is that, well, there are no timeouts. Ismael de Jesus enters the house with a technical knockout. The highlight of the match is Wanderlei Silva’s reaction to Paulino. He doesn’t understand why he would stop fighting because of one finger when you have nine others that work.

Antonio Branjao vs. Fernando Camoles Robas

This fight gets the highlight treatment. Sonnen describes it as a grappling match and “Camloes has the edge,” in both experience and technique. The first round is all Camloes, but the second round is quite different. Branjao comes out like a man possessed and attacks with a renewed vigor. He gets the takedown, moves to mount and punches his way into the house with a TKO win.

Warlley Alves vs. Wendell Oliveira Marques

A battle between two training partners, neither one let that fact get in the way of victory. They may have been shaking hands even hugged it out, but as Chael Sonnen put it, “In between those moments they were going for the kill.” A back and forth fight, it winds up going to a third round. Wendell was unable to keep pace, though, and Alves dominated the round with his power and wrestling to make it into the house. Alves is an early favorite for number one pick.

Marcio Alexandre Junior vs. Giuliano Arante

Marcio comes from a karate background and is known by the nickname “Lyoto” for his similarities to current middleweight number one contender Lyoto Machida. Arante has come a long way both athletically and physically. At the age of 19 he actually weight 133 kg (that’s 293 lbs. for our American friends) and now competes at middleweight.

Wanderlei Silva calls this fight “very interesting.” Arante does not have the technical proficiencies of Junior, but he keeps charging forward and his attacks are landing through sheer aggression. It’s no wonder the Axe Murderer takes a shine to the young man. The heart and determination only get his so far, unfortunately. The fight ends in the opening moments of the second round when Junior locks up the guillotine and earns the tap out.

Bruno Silva vs. Vitor Miranda

Silva was given the name Blindado (“Armored”) because of his ability to absorb damage and punishment. Miranda, aka “Lex Luthor,” has one of the more interesting nicknames on the show (at least it wasn’t another guy named Monstro).

Wanderlei gives Bruno credit for living up to his nickname, but that’s about it. Miranda’s Muay Thai is on point and he spends the first round landing punches and kicks at will. The second is more of the same until Miranda unloads a head kick from the clinch and Bruno crumbles. Vitor Miranda earns the final spot in the house and it’s time to pick teams.

Well...at least it’s supposed to be the time to pick teams. Before they begin, Wanderlei asks Chael to apologize for his comments in the run up to his fight against Anderson Silva where West Linn’s gangster made some disparaging remarks about the country of Brazil. Chael dismisses this ploy as Wanderlei simply trying to mug for the camera and bring attention to himself. When Chael refuses to apologize, Wanderlei says he’ll refuse to continue shooting the show and walks off.

The other fighters are a bit mixed on the situation. Some think that the Chael should just do it and get it over with others saying that Chael’s remarks about their country were deeply insulting and they deserve an apology. There’s also a third group that thinks that Wanderlei should just let it go and let his fists do the talking when they fight in May. Chael walks into Wanderlei’s locker room to speak with him. Wanderlei asks him again to apologize for his words and Chael responds, “In a million years that’s not going to happen,” and that’s where things end.

The episode closes out with a preview of next week’s episode. Does Wanderlei concede? Will Chael Sonnen actually apologize? Are there any Brazilians with a legal first name of Monstro? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil!