The Brazilian Beat
Jungle Fight 5 Truly International, Minotauro and Shogun Awaiting, Minotoro Going Boxing, Belfort Going to Britain, Tyson's Controversy in Brazil, Babies Being Born and more!

The Brazilian Beat:
      Time insists on flying through the year of 2005, and we're already reaching mid-November! As time flies, news never ceases to pop up on the Brazilian MMA scene, and the countdown has started for the fifth edition of Jungle Fight coming November 26th, with developments pointing to the best edition ever. When such a show is approaching, the camps get heated and obviously lots of training goes on, producing many interesting stories. However, the biggest stories are being produced by the PRIDE New Year's Eve show, with many rumors and negotiations for it proposed fights abounding. With those two major MMA happenings already shaking up "our world", and of course the usual news and bits from smaller promotions shaping up, there's surely plenty to read! So, get your fill of Brazilian MMA news, as Full Contact Fighter serves the beat from below the line of Ecuador.
  • Scheduled for November 26th, Jungle Fight is coming on strong with its fifth edition, establishing itself more and more as not only the best promotion in Brazil, but one of the best MMA shows in the world. For this next installment, promoter Wallid Ismail is taking the show to even bigger international heights, with fighters from more than six countries likely competing. With names like PRIDE veteran Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons, Cage Rage veteran Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, UFC and PRIDE Bushido veteran Jorge "Macaco" Patino, Abu Dhabi World Championship sensation Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira, Pancrase veteran and BJJ world champion Fredson Paixao, and new prospect Helio Dipp all confirmed for the show, Jungle Fight 5's fight card promises some interesting action for the Tropical Hotel arena in Manaus, Brazil. The last few matches of the card are to be announced shortly according to promoter Ismail. Among the matches already scheduled, the rivalry between Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe will have one more chapter written, as a bout that was supposed to take place in Portugal recently but didn't come through due to weight issues, will now finally unfold when Cacareco and Chute Boxe's own Julio Jamanta fight in Manaus. FCF will keep following the developments, but here is the card so far:
    • Luciano Azevedo vs. Jose Aldo
    • Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs. Michael Materla
    • Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira vs. Julio Cesar "Jamanta"
    • Fredson Paixao vs. Miljan Djurasinovic
    • Helio Dipp vs. Mark Sursa
    • Leopoldo Montenegro vs. Miodrag "Pele" Petkovitch
    • Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons vs. Alexander Shlemenko
    • Antonio "Pezao" vs. TBA
    • Jorge "Macaco" Patino vs. TBA

    PRIDE veteran Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira is confident in showing that his boxing skills are really at a good level nowadays. He is scheduled to make his amateur boxing debut at the next Brazilian Olympic Boxing Championship, where the states of the nation battle with their teams in each Olympic Boxing weight class. Minotoro will be defending the state of Bahia where he was born, and has left Rio de Janeiro towards Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia, this week to finish his preparation there. The tournament will take place between November 26th and December 1st at the city of Salvador in the Sesc arena. Nogueira will fight in the Super-Heavyweight division, and has been showing clear signs of taking boxing more seriously if things go well in the tournament.

  • Following something similar done by Team Quest years ago, the Brazilian Top Team is also now making it possible for fight fans to travel alongside the team in their next trip to Japan for December 31st's PRIDE, where Murilo Bustamante will be fighting Dan Henderson and likely, Ricardo Arona will be fighting Wanderlei Silva. Through "BTT Tour," they have packages available where the fan would stay in the same hotel as the fighters, visit their training sessions in Japan, be provided with a ticket to watch PRIDE, as well as win an exclusive T-shirt. It's not clear if those packages are only available to Brazilian fans, but information can be obtained at tour@braziliantopteam.com

  • Speaking of BTT, those involved in the New Year's Eve PRIDE show are not the only ones on the team that will be seeing some action in Japan in the month of December. PRIDE Bushido veteran Milton Vieira will be returning to the DEEP ring December 2nd after his victorious outing at the Japanese promotion's last edition. Vieira's opponent will be Nobuhiro Obiya.

  • Yet another new promotion will be making its debut in Brazil in December. This December 10th, the small city of Juiz de Fora, which has already held some MMA shows in the state of Minas Gerais, will be hosting the first edition of X-Fight Games. The show will take place in the Esport Clube Juiz de Fora arena, and will boast a solid fight card for local standards with names like Heat FC veteran and former Big Brother Brazil TV Show star Marcelo Dourado, Gracie Barra Combat Team's own Luiz "Beicao" Ramos, his teammate and another Heat FC veteran Eduardo Simoes, and Meca veteran Luis Besouro.

  • IVC and PRIDE veteran Johil de Oliveira has left the Budokan team after so many dedicated years. A long-time member of Budokan training under professor Joao Ricardo, and one of the warriors from the old days of Brazilian MMA, Johil has decided to begin his own team, calling it nothing else than Johil Team. The veteran fighter has spent almost thirty years of training under the Budokan Academy banner, and FCF wishes the best in his new venture.

  • In some not so MMA-oriented news, boxing legend Mike Tyson spent the past week in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, the biggest of South America, without anyone really expecting it. The "Iron Man", who's a fan of mixed martial arts, came to the continent to appear on a TV show in Argentina run by former soccer superstar Diego Maradona, and on his way back decided to enjoy a short vacation in Sao Paulo. The news took the Brazilian press by surprise, and during his days in Sao Paulo, Tyson had the chance to meet nightclub owner, businessman and now ShowFight promoter Oscar Maroni, and also have a few small problems with the police. "Iron Mike" was at Maroni's nightclub when he broke a journalist's camera and hit him lightly after getting upset about being filmed. Because of the incident, the former boxing world champion had to be taken to a police station later on, where he admitted his actions and signed a statement, being allowed to go soon after. Tyson will likely have to pay a fee and donate food to the needy to make up for his acts, however, the sentence will be known in the near future. The "Iron Man" is supposed to still be in Brazil in some other city during the next few days. Rumors have that his next destination would be Rio de Janeiro.

  • It's being reported in Brazil that Vitor Belfort's fight at the next Cage Rage show is truly signed. "The Phenom" will be fighting Anthony Rea, who has a win over Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos at the same British show, on December 3rd. Belfort is still in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, where he is currently living, training under the guidance of Rubens Doria, brother of boxing trainer Luis Dorea. Rumors suggest Belfort's management want him to fight this "easier bout" so he can get back in rhythm and regain his confidence before stepping inside the PRIDE ring again. Other Brazilians on the show include Anderson Silva, Nino "Elvis" Schembri, and possibly Luiz "Buscape" Firmino.

  • Although plenty of talks are still going on, it is still uncertain whether Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira will be fighting on PRIDE's December 31st card, and even more uncertain if his opponent will be Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic or not. Although it's still likely that Minotauro will be fighting on the card, it looks like one of the PRIDE's main sponsors for the show, a Japanese television network, is pushing for a bout between Filipovic and Mark Hunt. The situation is likely to be resolved in the coming weeks when bouts will be decided and announced. Regardless, Nogueira is training hard and seems to be in the best shape of his life.

  • Negotiations and rumors regarding PRIDE's December 31st show are not only a privilege of the Brazilian Top Team. With Wanderlei Silva training hard to face Ricardo Arona, rumors are flying about PRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's participation in the show as well. Comments have been circulating that Shogun is planning a move to the heavyweight division, but the young talent has told FCF that although this may happen once in a while, he plans on staying in the Under 205lbs weight class, the same division that made him Grand Prix champion. As for the next PRIDE show, Rua is training hard awaiting details about his future bout. Rumors suggest that a heavyweight match against a British fighter is being proposed, but nothing is sure and decided, so the "kid's" main priority is to keep training hard.

  • This past November 8th, yet another MMA fighter became a father! Heat FC, Pancrase, KOTC and Rings veteran Gustavo "Ximu" Machado's son was born in perfect health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was named after his father. Needless to say, Ximu is more than happy and is now likely out of the next Jungle Fight card. FCF wishes the best for the parents and little Gustavo.

  • Changing the topic from Brazilian related news, this reporter and the whole crew at FCF would like to take the chance to congratulate our friend Matt Hume, who is more than happy with the birth of his son Alexander this past October 28th! Matt and wife Christina went through some tough battles together and it is rewarding to see them in this moment of happiness. FCF wishes the best for the couple and little Alexander in many years to come, as a new PRIDE champion may have been born here.