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Experience sets the tone as careers are on the line in Brazil. By Eduardo Alonso This Saturday at around 10 PM New York time Jungle Fight 2 will begin and mark a crucial step into the careers of a lot of fighters that are taking part in the show, that in this reporter's opinion brings a solid evolution in its technical aspect in relation to Jungle 1. To be honest, each and every fighter on this card has his reason to consider their fights crucial. For fighters such as Rani Yahira and Fredson Paixao, who are on the early stages of their careers, winning on their first national PPV gig (In Brazil) can mean more invitations and some spotlights on them. For fighters on the mid-stages of their careers, like Daniel Acacio and Gabriel Napao a win in this event means another important step forward, and for veterans such as Carlos Barreto, Ebenezer Braga and Assuerio Silva, a loss can possibly mean the end of their dream of returning to PRIDE or the UFC. This could be considered more than enough to bring the attention of the fans, but believe it or not there's even more drama to be unfolded at Jungle Fight 2. Ronaldo Jacare will put his prestige as a grappler on the line once again by risking himself into MMA, after his losing debut in Jungle Fight 1 against Jorge Macaco Patino. Jacare was at the top of his game in both Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling back then, and his MMA debut was long awaited. Unfortunately things didn't turn out well for him, as he lost by KO and a second lose could mean the end of his short MMA career at this point, so you can imagine the pressure he is facing before his fight against Russian fighter Victor Babkir. With that in mind, less than 48 hours before the show, FCF brings you a small preview in the most important fights of Jungle Fight 2, that also has Ronaldo Jacare facing Victor Babkir, Katsuyori Shibata from Japan facing "Ice Man" from the USA [Of course it's not Chuck Liddell, however at this point no one has solid information on this fighter], Adriano Martins facing Boris Jonstomp from France, and Gabriel Napao matching up "Charlie Brown" from Brazil. Now let's move on the most interesting fights: Fredson Paixao vs. Rani Yahira: A BJJ World Champion Fredson Paixao is a great grappler and this is well known by everybody in the Jiu-Jitsu circles. Very strong for his weight, Fredson was always among the top of his division in competitions with the gi on and has been looking to make the transition to MMA for a good while already. Since he joined the Gracie Barra Combat Team his focus turned almost totally to MMA and he has been trying to improve his striking skills lately, this is by the way the biggest question mark going into his debut in our sport. This match-up was scheduled for HEAT FC 3, that was postponed with no date set yet, so both Fredson and Rani have been training with each other in mind for months already! To add to this drama they fought already in submission wrestling matches and some sort of feud started, with none of the fighters making any secret on their desire to face each other. Rani Yahira is a young fighter also with great grappling skills and impressive stamina. He first stunned the scene in Brazil when he won his weight class at the Abu Dhabi Brazilian Trials last year, surprising several favorites and showing a pace of fighting that few could try to match. However, the young kid has been training Boxing for a long time as well, and recently won a MMA 8 men tournament in Brazil, against minor competition, by easily defeating three fighters in one night. So Rani emerges as a slightly favorite in this fight, with the better MMA experience, stand up and stamina, however when a fight gets personal anything can happen. Daniel Acacio vs. Buck Greer: Daniel Acacio was already making noise at MECA Vale Tudo way before he joined Chute Boxe. Although still young, Acacio is very experienced having face tough battles at MECA, and showing clear signs of evolution every time he fights. As a Chute Boxe fighter, Daniel is 1 and 0, and has been making an effort to improve his stand up. With hopes of taking part in the next PRIDE BUSHIDO card he has been training hard non-stop for a long time already, and as Jungle Fight appeared he took the opportunity even though he only found out about his opponent less than a week ago. His strength is his fighting pace, takedowns and aggressiveness. Coming from Chris Brennan's camp, Buck Greer probably has a good ground game as well as is a tough fighter. His record is very interesting, and losing a fight to Dennis Hallman by split decision only adds to his credentials. Experience won't likely be any problem for him, and he is likely to have a good advantage over Acacio ground wise. If he fights smart and avoids the initial pressure by the Chute Boxe fighter, he has a decent shot at winning, however with the fight being in Brazil and months of Chute Boxe training, Daniel is the favorite on this one. Fabricio Werdum vs. Ebenezer Braga: Fabricio Werdum comes from a good Jiu-Jitsu background and he really appeared on the big scene in Brazil at last year's Abu Dhabi Sumbission Wrestling World Championship, as he fought true battles against Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz and showed himself as a top grappler. As an MMA fighter Werdum is still not much experienced, but has been showing signs of great potential. At the last Jungle Fight he fought maybe the best fight of the night against Gabriel Napao, and surprised his opponent with a solid stand up in his winning effort. Rumors have that he is going to join Chute Boxe in the near future, and he is surely a fighter that will make an impact in the future. However, fighting Braga at this point may be too much. Ebenezer Braga doesn't need any introduction for a hardcore MMA fan. A true veteran of the sport Braga fought in every big show one can imagine, as is finally getting back to the best shape of his career. In his win over Eric Wanderlei at HEAT FC 2 Braga showed a slim shape and good cardio, as well as a well-tuned stand up. Considering he was training hard for months to a fight in HEAT FC 3, that got postponed, he is still in great shape and has the advantage in striking and experience over Werdum. Also, his wrestling has been very improved and Fabricio will likely have a tough time taking him down, what makes Braga the favorite in this one. Werdum's best shot will be taking the fight to the ground early or making it last till the final round, when age can turn things around. Carlos Barreto vs. Bobby Hoffman: Just like Braga, Barreto is another veteran that doesn't require any introduction for a real MMA fan. With fights against some of the best MMA fighters we saw over the years, Carlos has been making an effort to get his career on international level again and prove to the fans and promoters he is a new fighter. Often criticized by being boring in the past, the Brazilian Top Team fighter has been dedicating himself to Muay Thai in the last two years, even taking part in a K-1 competition to prove his dedication. At HEAT FC 1 he showed his newfound Muay Thai skills in a KO effort to beat Ben Rothwell, but his plans got "cut short" when Wrestler Travis Wiuff used better strategy to earn a fair and square judges' decision over him at HEAT FC 2. Facing someone known as Hoffman may be the opportunity Barreto needs to prove he still has a lot of fuel left, and his stand up skills will be much needed for a solid win. Make no mistake, cause Carlos knows he can't lose this one by any means, and this alone adds a lot of drama to this fight. If we're talking about experienced fighters, Bobby Hoffman certainly is one of the most experienced heavyweights one can find at this level, with well over than 30 fights in his career. With a lot of power and a solid base, Bobby was making a name for himself in the UFC when he faced some problems in his career. Ever since he got back in 2003, he managed to keep himself active fighting in KOTC and other shows, but wasn't the same fighter of the past. However, Hoffman is a big question mark, cause it's tough to know what fighter will show up for this fight. Considering Wiuff used great strategy and composure to beat Barreto, and this is not the biggest quality of Bobby, plus his cardio may not be better than Barreto's as well, Carlos can be called the favorite for this one, but Hoffman can surprise him with his power and grant a win by ground and pound. Assuerio Silva vs. Fabiano Scherner: A PRIDE veteran with numerous wins at MECA, Assuerio Silva was once considered the Chute Boxe heavyweight contender for the big shows. However, times usually changes and after internal problems Assuerio opted to leave Chute Boxe along with Anderson Silva and others. Ever since he didn't fight in any event and what kind of form he will show is still a mystery. The former Chute Boxe fighter is very strong and has a solid Muay Thai. Experience and striking are his advantages over Fabiano, and he also may have a mindset edge over the Brazilian Top Team fighter since he firmly believes Shcerner faked an injury when they first fought each other at MECA Vale Tudo, resulting in a no-contest. That fight was going more into Assuerio's way before both fighters fell out of the ring making Fabiano passing out with the fall. The feud between the two and Asseurio's needs for a win are what is captivating the fans on this one, as Silva can't risk a lose at this point in his career, after his last PRIDE fight and his departure from Chute boxe. Coming from Brazilian Top Team Fabiano Scherner is quite a good Jiu Jitsu fighter. Very strong and heavy, he likes to fight from the top and made a solid showing at the last year's Abu Dhabi Brazilian trials, losing only to "Pe de Pano" on the finals of he Heavy division. His MMA experience is still limited though, with a win at Hook N Shoot and a no-contest against Assuerio. However, this might be his best shot at beating a known fighter such as Assuerio, with Silva's current technical shape being a question mark, and this could make wonders for his career. Currently I would say this fight has no favorites due to the situation discussed above, however it's clear that Scherner best shot at winning is controlling the fight on the ground and trying submissions, in a fight that mindset will be the difference. Travis Wiuff vs. Leopoldo Montenegro: A hardcore fan of MMA, Travis Wiuff is not only a very powerful and strong fighter, but also a smart one. As his career has been developing, Wiuff has been maturing a lot as a fighter and adding proper strategy into his game. He has been also improving his stand-up, and working on his cardio. His win over Carlos Barreto in Brazil proved those points, as he controlled the experienced Carlos in his home turf, under extremely hot Brazilian weather and kept his rhythm through the whole fight. Travis won 13 fights since his last loss and I don't think this streak will end now. With the edge in power, strength, wrestling and experience, and maybe even in stand up, as Montenegro is no striker, if he executes his game plan properly and has his mind right on the fight, this can be yet another important win in his new phase. Leopoldo Montenegro is a talented ground fighter, who was already BJJ world champion in his young career. Obviously his ground skills are his best quality and he used those to submit Mark Schultz at Jungle Fight 1. The fight ended up being controversial, as Schultz claimed he wasn't aware it would be a real fight. This is Montenegro's chance to prove it was not a fluke or a problem of communication, and he is for real as an MMA fighter. It won't be easy, cause Wiuff's fight against Barreto may be a good preparation for the American to also control this one. As expected, submissions are Montenegro's best shot in the fight, and if he manages to end up on top this can mean a whole in Wiuff's strategy and a win for the Brazilian, who has a lot of future potential no matter the outcome. |
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