The Brazilian Beat
Silva Back in Training, a New Rua Brother Coming Up, Schembri Heading for Chute Boxe, 4th Shooto Brazil Cancelled and Barreto Back to HEAT!

The Brazilian Beat:
      As the Brazilian Beat is back in business a lot of happenings started to happen lately in the Brazilian MMA scene, making this writer avid to write another piece of news to keep you posted on the latest from the most important MMA country on South America. The worldwide famous Chute Boxe team was the center of attention this past week in Brazil as plenty of happenings took place, from Belt ceremonies to Wanderlei Silva resuming his training after a vacation, reaching its peak with PRIDE veteran Nino Schembri taking his ground skills to the city of Curitiba for a new experience in his career. Another important piece of news saw the 4th edition of Shooto Brazil being postponed with no certain date set yet, leaving a number of good fighters waiting to show their talent on the rings. Besides that yet a new show is in the making in Brazil and HEAT FC continues to prepare its 3rd edition as a seasoned veteran in Barreto is once again ready to battle. So, let's not delay things anymore and go straight to the news as FCF brings the beat one more time in the so famous Brazilian style!
  • PRIDE Middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva resumed his well-deserved vacation getting back to training this last week. Silva was enjoying his family in a short vacation after his victorious participation at PRIDE BUSHIDO 2, and took the chance of a Chute Boxe belt ceremony to get back to action. During the ceremony Silva had the chance to spar against Jose Sanson, who is the newest Chute Boxe black belt, testing him in both Muay Thai and freestyle sparring. Sanson by the way is the only male brother of Ana Paula Sanson, who happens to be Murilo Ninja's fiancé. The "Axe Murderer" is now training hard and getting ready for the coming challenges that PRIDE may present him, such as the rumored match up against Yuki Kondo.

  • At the same ceremony Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Chute Boxe Jiu-Jitsu teacher took the chance to graduate Rafael Cordeiro with his Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Cordeiro is responsible for much of the success of Chute Boxe alongside with his master Rudimar Fedrigo, and was a long time brown belt already, have been training the "Smooth Art" for 12 years. He joins now Wanderlei Silva as the only two Jiu-Jitsu black belts at Chute Boxe, apart from Cristiano of course.

  • Speaking of Chute Boxe, young sensation Murilo Ninja Rua is already recovered from his shin injury suffered recently, and has been back to training preparing for a likely appearance at the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix, this coming April. One interesting note is that at the Chute Boxe belt ceremony his younger brother, Marcos Rua was graduated as a Light Blue Stripe Chute Boxe belt. Marcos, who is the younger brother of Shogun and Ninja, joined Muay Thai training just recently, and has showing so much talent that he jumped straight from "No Belt" to Light Blue stripe! At the Chute Boxe belt system the fighter starts with no belts, going to red stripe, the red belt and only then reaching light blue stripe, going to show a new talent is on the rise and the years to come may see yet another Rua to give opponents a hard time!

  • Continuing on the Chute Boxe subject, the biggest happening this week on the Brazilian scene was the arriving of PRIDE veteran Nino "Elvis" Schembri to the Chute Boxe headquarters! Nino got to Curitiba this Tuesday to spend a period of training at the famous academy, where he will improve his Muay Thai techniques and MMA style, while share a bit of his famous Jiu-Jitsu skills with the team. At this point it's still unclear whether Nino will officially join the team and represent them in MMA or only spend a certain time training with his friends. Schembri is a close friend of Jorge Guimaraes, his manager, who is Rudimar Fedrigo's partner at MECA Vale-Tudo, sharing a close friendship as well. One thing is certain, this is bound to help both sides in future competitions!

  • In what caught some of the Brazilian MMA scene by surprise the 4th edition of Shooto Brazil was postponed Tuesday. The show was originally scheduled for April 16th, however a number of logistic problems made it impossible for the promoters to come trough with the show, and it was better to postpone. The new date hasn't been decided yet, but the show is believed to take place in the month of May.

  • UFC Veteran Amaury Bitetti just got elected by a Brazilian MMA magazine the best absolute Jiu-Jitsu black belt from the 90's! Bitetti has been living in the USA for a while already, and now got back to Brazil for a quick vacation and to take the chance to promote the 3rd edition of his own MMA show this coming April 1st in Natal. Amaury's plans include getting back to America this coming April 4th.

  • A new show is being planned to debut in Brazil soon. Vitoria Extreme Fight is schedule to take place this coming May 29th, in the city of Vitoria as the name mentions. Vitoria is the capital of the state of Espirito Santo, on the southeast region of Brazil near Rio de Janeiro and the word Vitoria in Portuguese means Victory. The show plans to attract more interest to MMA in yet another capital, and will count with MECA veteran Rafael Capoeira facing Jiu-Jitsu stand out Eduardo Jamelao in the main event of the card. FCF will keep an eye on the developments.

  • PRIDE and UFC veteran Carlos Barreto will be back to HEAT FC in its third edition. The Brazilian Top Team member who defeated Ben Rothwell by KO at HEAT FC 1 and lost a decision to Travis Wiuff at HEAT FC 2 will be facing yet another American fighter, still to be announced. Although he said on an interview to the Brazilian press that Mike Whitehead would be his opponent, Mike was never contacted and it looks like Barreto will be facing a KOTC veteran on the upcoming HEAT card, joining Ebenezer Braga and Eric Tavares, from Ruas Vale Tudo, who will also be facing King Of The Cage veterans in Keith Jardine and Diego Sanchez on April 30th.

  • Speaking of HEAT FC 3, as time runs by and the date of the show approaches the card is being defined and HEAT veteran Paulo Guerreiro Barros is now officially out of the show. Barros has a commitment with the AFC coming up in early May and won't be able to fight at HEAT FC 3. Some names that are likely to be on the show are also Brazil Super Fight veteran Leonardo Souza and Pentagon Combat veteran Jalmir "Buda" Ferreira. Also, world champion BJJ black belt Fredson Paixão will be making his MMA debut on the HEAT FC 3 card as well as some other surprises.