Author: By Martins Denis / Translation Munique Bohnke

The second episode of TUF Brazil (Watch Here!) keeps the adrenaline level high with the presentation of the athletes’ routine in the house, the selection of the teams, training, and the difficulties of literally “sleeping with the enemy.”

At first, the joy of setting foot inside the house of the reality show didn’t leave any room for rivalries, with some of the competitors celebrating while others were seeking focus. Well, almost everyone is on that vibe, except for Anistávio Gasparzinho, who claims to be more familiar with modest facilities, so he picked up his mattress and camped in the “Bat Cave” that was more his style – under the living room table.

For newer fans, each episode is one of discovery. For example, this week we saw the use of the ice bath, a device targeted for anesthetizing the athlete, among other benefits.

After a few funny words from the excited fighters, it was time to go to the TUF training center for the choosing of teams, and there is no way someone won’t get a wakeup call or a tough guy that won’t get nervous from the process. The funny thing for those watching it is remembering, at least here in Brazil, the soccer games you played in your free time. Regardless of whether you’re an adult or a child, the moment of forming the teams is the best time for the first ones that are chosen, and devastating for the ones who are chosen last.

Positioned side by side in the training center in front of UFC president Dana White, the trainers, and coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, the 16 athletes hear from the president that they will have an extra reason to perform well on the show, as the Best Knockout, Best Fight and Best Submission will be awarded with 45 thousand dollars, breaking the tension and providing even more motivation.

Wand wins the coin toss, and picks the first fighter, leaving Vitor with the option of choosing the first fight in the house. The decision generates different views from the experts.

“I decided to pick the first fighter, because the best fighter wins the fight,” says Wanderlei.

“There’s a downside, but it gives me the right to choose the fights, and I’ll choose the fights the way I think will be positive for my team in the competition,” countered Vitor.

The first choice for Team Wanderlei was Rony Jason and for Team Vitor was Cezar Mutante. Further on, Delson Pé-de-Chumbo, John Macapa, Francisco Massaranduba, Marcus Vinicius Vina, Reneé Forte, Wagner Galeto and Leonardo Macarrão were all called by Wanderlei, as Hugo Wolverine, Daniel Serafian, Rodrigo Damm, Thiago Bodão, Godofredo Pepey, Sergio Moraes and Anistávio Gasparzinho were selected by Vitor.

Being chosen last bothered the always playful Gasparzinho, causing a little discomfort when Team Vitor got together for the first time and proving that it’s not only in soccer games that being picked last is discouraging.

With the teams now formed, the house still remains in harmony, with Gasparzinho being the center of attention for his hyperactivity. Next is another return to the training center on separate schedules for each team, and the coaches pass on their philosophy and what they expect from the fighters.

In the house, the third pick of Team Vitor, Daniel Serafian, makes a direct statement about the leader of the opposing group.

“They (Team Wanderlei) are not very bright like Vitor. They’re like, ‘We will attack the weakest.’ They are kind of dumb. You see they are dumb by Wanderlei’s attitude of choosing the first guy rather than the first fight.”

For the first fight, Vitor matches his pupil Godofredo Pepey against Wagner Galeto, theoretically a wise choice due to the performance of the two in their fights to get into the house.

In pre-fight interviews, Galeto and Pepey, praised their families as the reason why they can overcome opponents and neither could hold back the tears. Before the bout, Vitor and Wand announced the possibility of the winning fighter coming out of the competition with a brand new Ford Ranger, and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo made a visit to see the fighters.

In the first fight of the TUF Brazil competition, Pepey had the clear intention of fighting on the ground, as Galeto tried to work on counter strikes. With the fight scheduled for 10 minutes, being aggressive is the first step to impressing the judges. Galeto, in spite of defending the takedowns and trying to keep the fight standing, was restrained, always waiting to counter the actions of Pepey, who was not afraid to pull guard on two occasions. A knockdown with less than 50 seconds left in the first round, followed by a ground and pound assault, guaranteed Pepey the 10-9 advantage.

Round two saw two blows below the belt line by Pepey lead to complaints from Team Wanderlei, but no point was deducted. The fight continued at a similar slow pace throughout the round, with no one risking much to finish the fight, and Galeto not trying to make up for lost time to equalize things until the last 10 seconds. It was not enough, and Pepey moved to the next round via split decision.

Team Vitor takes a 1-0 lead over Team Wanderlei, but Belfort did talk to the staff about some excessive victory celebrations, demanding respect for their opponents.

Here’s how the teams look:

Team Wanderlei (assistant coaches Rafael Cordeiro, André Dida, Renato Babalú, and Fabricio Werdum)
Rony Jason
Delson Pé-de-Chumbo
John Macap
Francisco Massarandub
Marcus Vinicius Vina
Reneé Forte
Wagner Galeto
Leonardo Macarrão

Team Vítor (assistant coaches Francisco Filho, Luiz Dórea, Rodrigo Artilheiro, and Gilberto Durinho)
Cézar Mutante
Hugo Wolverine
Daniel Serafian
Rodrigo Damm
Thiago Bodão
Godofredo Pepey
Sérgio Moraes
Anistávio Gasparzinho

It’s easy to notice something really special when the 32 men selected for the first edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil make their first walk towards the Octagon.

Some athletes even let their emotions out, thanking God for the opportunity and even letting a tear run down their face during the quick speeches of both coaches, MMA legends Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. And this mix of emotion and anxiety happens without the fighters even knowing who they are going to fight or how it’s going to unfold until they get their hand raised (or not), ensuring that they have a place inside the Ultimate Fighter house.

But in spite of the emotions, silence reigned as Vitor and Wanderlei spoke. The same can’t be said of the reaction to the remarkable introduction from UFC president Dana White. Declaring what he truly expected of the 32 fighters, Dana went straight to the point.

“I’m looking for the next world champion. It’s the opportunity of your lives. You made it this far. But it doesn’t end here; you will have to fight to get to the house. No one wants to lose the chance to be in this show, no one wants to be out of this. Today is the day! Today is the most important day of your lives. You’ll give your best here today to get inside that house, and maybe become world champions in the UFC. Are you ready?”

Without any response, in a louder voice, White asked again, “Are you ready?”

Then the excitement started taking over the 32 men standing in front of the president, who responded loud and clear: “YES!!”

QUALIFIERS

Divided between featherweight and middleweight fighters, now came the defining moment for the 32 chosen – a chance to prove that all your efforts will be rewarded or overcome by the bigger will of your opponent.

Fight 1 [featherweight] – Rony “Jason” Mariano (Quixada EC) vs. Dileno Lopes (Manaus, AM)

After a slightly better start, where he gave some good kicks, Mariano caught two strong punches from Dileno’s left hand and went to the ground. Trying to finish with a ground and pound attack, Dileno rushed, and even passing the guard, he could not keep his opponent on the ground. Mariano got back up to his feet and showing he recovered well, struck with a low kick, tried a flying knee and took advantage of a slip by Dileno to land a punch that knocked him down, and was then declared a technical knockout winner in the fight after two more punches.

Fight 2 [middleweight] Francisco “Massaranduba” Drinaldo (Brasilia, DF) vs. Charles Maicon (Sorocaba, SP)

A frenetic and wide-open striking fight has only one likely outcome…someone will fall. “Massaranduba” showed all his power when he threw Charles on the floor, where he started the ground and pound and implemented a sequence of left hands until the referee stopped the fight and declared him the knockout victor.

Fight 3 [featherweight] Godofredo Pepey (Fortaleza, CE) x Johnny “Cabeça” Goncalves

With a sharp ground game, Pepey showed his skills – even on his back – and he was able to get an armbar from the guard, forcing Johnny to tap out  in less than two minutes.

Fight 4 [middleweight] Cesar “Mutante” Ferreira (Belo Horizonte. MG) x Gustavo “Labareda” Sampaio (Brasilia, DF)

With a big reach advantage , “Mutante” was aware that striking could be the way to victory against the shorter Gustavo “Labareda.” However, after dominating in the clinch with the best Wanderlei Silva Muay Thai style, Mutante was forced to fight on the ground when his opponent decided to pull into his guard. At that moment, the “mutant” was warned for delivering blows to the neck and illegal elbows that forced the referee to stop the fight to check a cut that was bleeding from Gustavo’s head. In the next round, “Labareda” found the distance to land low kicks, and Mutante was having a hard time striking. In response, he decided to take the fight down to the mat, and though Labareda tried to get up, but Mutante had the guillotine position ready and he pulled to guard, which left Gustavo no alternative except to give up.

Fight 5 [featherweight] Alexander “Sangue” Ramos (Curitiba, PR) x Hugh “Wolverine” Viana (Salvador, BA)

Understanding the need to put on an exciting fight, “Sangue” and “Wolverine” began trading blows immediately. Sangue attempted a flying triangle, which seemed good, but Wolverine resisted, defended and escaped from the submission. Going into the guard of the man from Curitiba, Wolverine showed some inexperience using his elbows, but he eventually figured things out and put his opponent to sleep with three perfect elbows.

Fight 6 [middleweight] Daniel Safarian (São Paulo, SP) x Richard “Monstrão” Moreira (Campinas, SP)

Ignoring Richard Monstrão’s reach, Daniel Safarian showed good footwork and was able to shake his opponent with a jab. On the ground, Safarian had speed in his blows, but Monstrão went for his left leg with a dangerous heel hook that was well defended by Safarian, who used it to stay on top and get the mount. Monstrão tried standing back up when – with one hand on the ground – he caught an illegal knee. After a few minutes to recover, Safarian tried getting points, and doing damage, he set the pace, but was saved by the bell when the fight went to the ground and Monstrão worked a second heel hook. In the second round, Safarian continued pushing, took the fight to the ground and punished Monstrão for five minutes, alternating blows from the mount and into half guard, taking the first victory of the day by decision.

Fight 7 [featherweight] Fabricio Guerrero (Santana, AP) x Rodrigo Damm (Vila Velha, ES)

The experience of fighting in Brazil, Japan, Russia, Canada and U.S. that Rodrigo Damm had may have been crucial for him to overcome Fabricio Guerrero’s best striking, as he took advantage of the timing of attempted kicks to counter attack with well-aimed punches. But Damm realized that he wouldn’t win standing up, and he used his wrestling as an ally combined with his black belt in jiu-jitsu to get a rear-naked choke and finish the fight in the second round.

Fight 8 [featherweight] Wagner’s “Galeto” Santos (Pines, PR) x Fernando Guerra (Dourados, MS)

Although we didn’t see much of the performance expected – Wagner “Galeto” and his combinations appeared to have him heading towards the knockout. But it was difficult to define a winner after two rounds of five minutes each, and an extra stanza was needed. In it, Galeto seemed to have enough gas to give a final sprint and show everything that he hadn’t done before. Fernando resisted, but ultimately did not convince the judges, who gave the victory to his opponent. Before the verdict, Fernando tried to verbally convince the judges that his opponent did not fight, but just tried to manage the fight, creating some tension between the two, but it was left alone.

Fight 9 [middleweight] Sergio Moraes (Sao Paulo, SP) x Thiago Rela (Itatiba, SP)

You shouldn’t ignore it when they say “Do not go to the ground with a renowned black belt in jiu-jitsu.” If he is a three-time world champion, it’s even worse. Thiago Rela started well, trading blows in an unusual position on the floor – with one closing a triangle on the other’s leg. But Sergio Moraes’ moment soon arrived, and shortly after he sunk a heel hook in, submitting Rela and stamping his “passport” into the Ultimate Fighter house.

Fight 10 [featherweight] Rafael Bueno (Bragança Paulista, SP) x Anistávio “Gasparzinho” Medeiros (Natal, RN)

Gasparzinho was not as nice a guy as his nickname (Casper) would denote, and with enough versatility he confused Rafael’s striking and got the best of him in the first five minutes. After that, Rafael hit back, and despite being punished by the end of the round, he had done enough to take the fight to the third. In that tiebreaking round, “Casper” showed a lot of aggression and almost managed to finish with an armbar, but won by decision.

Fight 11 [middleweight] John “Tuba” de Souza (Curitiba, PR) x Thiago “Bodão” Perpetual (Santo André, SP)

Tuba from Curitiba wanted to show what he had early in the match and he took Thiago Bodão to the ground and went to half-guard while hammering him. Bodão rebounded in the same way, reversing the position and punishing from the passed guard. In the second round, Bodao repeated the successful formula of the previous frame: ground and pound. Tuba was a warrior and survived, only to lose the decision to Bodão.

Fight 12 [featherweight] Geovani “Soldado” Souza Jr. (PB,) x John “Macapa” Teixeira (Macapa, AP)

A trade of low blows started this bout off in bizarre fashtion, but on the second restart, an exchange of heavy blows ended with a clinch and a takedown by Macapa. Soldado reversed the position, but Macapá locked in an armbar that ended the fight.

Fight 13 [middleweight] Delson “Pé de Chumbo” Heleno (Teresopolis, RJ) x Gilberto Galvão (Camburiú, SC)

In a battle between two of the most physically strong fighters in the competition, Pé de Chumbo got the best of his foe as he put into practice a successful strategy of takedowns and a fine ground game to dispatch Gilberto via judges’ decision.

Fight 14 [middleweight] Fabio Bolinho (Natal, RN) x Renee Forte (Fortaleza, CE)

Punishing Renee’s left leg with very heavy low kicks, Fabio seemed to have found the path that leads to the house of The Ultimate Fighter. Renee wouldn’t surrender the easy way though, doing justice to his name and finding the distance to adjust with good uppercuts, shaking his opponent on some occasions, and earning the decision win.

Fight 15 [featherweight] – Marcus “Vina” Pancini (Curitiba, PR) x Pedro Nobre (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

A right hand that landed perfectly on Pedro’s face was the beginning of  Vina’s path to the house. Even dizzy on the floor, Pedro tried to work a leg lock, but many right hands sealed the end of the fight by technical knockout in favor of Vina.

Fight 16 – [middleweight] Samuel Trindade (Boa Vista, RR) x Leonardo “Macarrão” Mafra (Camburiú, SC)
The last elimination of the night was considered  “Fight of the Night.” A duel of back-and-forth exchanges left White, Silva, and Belfort on their feet applauding at the end of two remarkable rounds. In the tiebreaking round three, fatigue had Samuel and Macarrão seemingly moving in slow motion, but that didn’t mean the fight was no longer exciting, as the two continued trading punches. With less than 12 seconds left, Samuel took his foe down and got the mount, going for a triangle, but time ran out. The final attack was not enough and Macarrão emerged victorious by decision.

If adrenaline was sky high after the first episode, rest assured that you will have a hard time handling the excitement coming up. In the weeks ahead, we will have Wanderlei and Vitor choosing their team members, their training sessions, a look at the fighters living in the house together, and the fights that will determine the first two Ultimate Fighters of Brazil.

Here are your final 16 competitors:

Middleweight
César Mutante
Leonardo Macarrão
Francisco Massaranduba
Delson Pé de Chumbo
Daniel Sarafian
Sérgio Moraes
Renée Forte
Thiago Bodão

Featherweight
Wagner Galeto
Anistávio Gasparzrinho
Hugo Wolverine
John Macapá
Godofredo Pepey
Rony Jason
Marcus Vinícius Vina
Rodrigo Damm

It’s easy to notice something really special when the 32 men selected for the first edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil make their first walk towards the Octagon.

Some athletes even let their emotions out, thanking God for the opportunity and even letting a tear run down their face during the quick speeches of both coaches, MMA legends Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. And this mix of emotion and anxiety happens without the fighters even knowing who they are going to fight or how it’s going to unfold until they get their hand raised (or not), ensuring that they have a place inside the Ultimate Fighter house.

But in spite of the emotions, silence reigned as Vitor and Wanderlei spoke. The same can’t be said of the reaction to the remarkable introduction from UFC president Dana White. Declaring what he truly expected of the 32 fighters, Dana went straight to the point.

“I’m looking for the next world champion. It’s the opportunity of your lives. You made it this far. But it doesn’t end here; you will have to fight to get to the house. No one wants to lose the chance to be in this show, no one wants to be out of this. Today is the day! Today is the most important day of your lives. You’ll give your best here today to get inside that house, and maybe become world champions in the UFC. Are you ready?”

Without any response, in a louder voice, White asked again, “Are you ready?”

Then the excitement started taking over the 32 men standing in front of the president, who responded loud and clear: “YES!!”

QUALIFIERS

Divided between featherweight and middleweight fighters, now came the defining moment for the 32 chosen – a chance to prove that all your efforts will be rewarded or overcome by the bigger will of your opponent.

Fight 1 [featherweight] – Rony “Jason” Mariano (Quixada EC) vs. Dileno Lopes (Manaus, AM)

After a slightly better start, where he gave some good kicks, Mariano caught two strong punches from Dileno’s left hand and went to the ground. Trying to finish with a ground and pound attack, Dileno rushed, and even passing the guard, he could not keep his opponent on the ground. Mariano got back up to his feet and showing he recovered well, struck with a low kick, tried a flying knee and took advantage of a slip by Dileno to land a punch that knocked him down, and was then declared a technical knockout winner in the fight after two more punches.

Fight 2 [middleweight] Francisco “Massaranduba” Drinaldo (Brasilia, DF) vs. Charles Maicon (Sorocaba, SP)

A frenetic and wide-open striking fight has only one likely outcome…someone will fall. “Massaranduba” showed all his power when he threw Charles on the floor, where he started the ground and pound and implemented a sequence of left hands until the referee stopped the fight and declared him the knockout victor.

Fight 3 [featherweight] Godofredo Pepey (Fortaleza, CE) x Johnny “Cabeça” Goncalves

With a sharp ground game, Pepey showed his skills – even on his back – and he was able to get an armbar from the guard, forcing Johnny to tap out  in less than two minutes.

Fight 4 [middleweight] Cesar “Mutante” Ferreira (Belo Horizonte. MG) x Gustavo “Labareda” Sampaio (Brasilia, DF)

With a big reach advantage , “Mutante” was aware that striking could be the way to victory against the shorter Gustavo “Labareda.” However, after dominating in the clinch with the best Wanderlei Silva Muay Thai style, Mutante was forced to fight on the ground when his opponent decided to pull into his guard. At that moment, the “mutant” was warned for delivering blows to the neck and illegal elbows that forced the referee to stop the fight to check a cut that was bleeding from Gustavo’s head. In the next round, “Labareda” found the distance to land low kicks, and Mutante was having a hard time striking. In response, he decided to take the fight down to the mat, and though Labareda tried to get up, but Mutante had the guillotine position ready and he pulled to guard, which left Gustavo no alternative except to give up.

Fight 5 [featherweight] Alexander “Sangue” Ramos (Curitiba, PR) x Hugh “Wolverine” Viana (Salvador, BA)

Understanding the need to put on an exciting fight, “Sangue” and “Wolverine” began trading blows immediately. Sangue attempted a flying triangle, which seemed good, but Wolverine resisted, defended and escaped from the submission. Going into the guard of the man from Curitiba, Wolverine showed some inexperience using his elbows, but he eventually figured things out and put his opponent to sleep with three perfect elbows.

Fight 6 [middleweight] Daniel Safarian (São Paulo, SP) x Richard “Monstrão” Moreira (Campinas, SP)

Ignoring Richard Monstrão’s reach, Daniel Safarian showed good footwork and was able to shake his opponent with a jab. On the ground, Safarian had speed in his blows, but Monstrão went for his left leg with a dangerous heel hook that was well defended by Safarian, who used it to stay on top and get the mount. Monstrão tried standing back up when – with one hand on the ground – he caught an illegal knee. After a few minutes to recover, Safarian tried getting points, and doing damage, he set the pace, but was saved by the bell when the fight went to the ground and Monstrão worked a second heel hook. In the second round, Safarian continued pushing, took the fight to the ground and punished Monstrão for five minutes, alternating blows from the mount and into half guard, taking the first victory of the day by decision.

Fight 7 [featherweight] Fabricio Guerrero (Santana, AP) x Rodrigo Damm (Vila Velha, ES)

The experience of fighting in Brazil, Japan, Russia, Canada and U.S. that Rodrigo Damm had may have been crucial for him to overcome Fabricio Guerrero’s best striking, as he took advantage of the timing of attempted kicks to counter attack with well-aimed punches. But Damm realized that he wouldn’t win standing up, and he used his wrestling as an ally combined with his black belt in jiu-jitsu to get a rear-naked choke and finish the fight in the second round.

Fight 8 [featherweight] Wagner’s “Galeto” Santos (Pines, PR) x Fernando Guerra (Dourados, MS)

Although we didn’t see much of the performance expected – Wagner “Galeto” and his combinations appeared to have him heading towards the knockout. But it was difficult to define a winner after two rounds of five minutes each, and an extra stanza was needed. In it, Galeto seemed to have enough gas to give a final sprint and show everything that he hadn’t done before. Fernando resisted, but ultimately did not convince the judges, who gave the victory to his opponent. Before the verdict, Fernando tried to verbally convince the judges that his opponent did not fight, but just tried to manage the fight, creating some tension between the two, but it was left alone.

Fight 9 [middleweight] Sergio Moraes (Sao Paulo, SP) x Thiago Rela (Itatiba, SP)

You shouldn’t ignore it when they say “Do not go to the ground with a renowned black belt in jiu-jitsu.” If he is a three-time world champion, it’s even worse. Thiago Rela started well, trading blows in an unusual position on the floor – with one closing a triangle on the other’s leg. But Sergio Moraes’ moment soon arrived, and shortly after he sunk a heel hook in, submitting Rela and stamping his “passport” into the Ultimate Fighter house.

Fight 10 [featherweight] Rafael Bueno (Bragança Paulista, SP) x Anistávio “Gasparzinho” Medeiros (Natal, RN)

Gasparzinho was not as nice a guy as his nickname (Casper) would denote, and with enough versatility he confused Rafael’s striking and got the best of him in the first five minutes. After that, Rafael hit back, and despite being punished by the end of the round, he had done enough to take the fight to the third. In that tiebreaking round, “Casper” showed a lot of aggression and almost managed to finish with an armbar, but won by decision.

Fight 11 [middleweight] John “Tuba” de Souza (Curitiba, PR) x Thiago “Bodão” Perpetual (Santo André, SP)

Tuba from Curitiba wanted to show what he had early in the match and he took Thiago Bodão to the ground and went to half-guard while hammering him. Bodão rebounded in the same way, reversing the position and punishing from the passed guard. In the second round, Bodao repeated the successful formula of the previous frame: ground and pound. Tuba was a warrior and survived, only to lose the decision to Bodão.

Fight 12 [featherweight] Geovani “Soldado” Souza Jr. (PB,) x John “Macapa” Teixeira (Macapa, AP)

A trade of low blows started this bout off in bizarre fashtion, but on the second restart, an exchange of heavy blows ended with a clinch and a takedown by Macapa. Soldado reversed the position, but Macapá locked in an armbar that ended the fight.

Fight 13 [middleweight] Delson “Pé de Chumbo” Heleno (Teresopolis, RJ) x Gilberto Galvão (Camburiú, SC)

In a battle between two of the most physically strong fighters in the competition, Pé de Chumbo got the best of his foe as he put into practice a successful strategy of takedowns and a fine ground game to dispatch Gilberto via judges’ decision.

Fight 14 [middleweight] Fabio Bolinho (Natal, RN) x Renee Forte (Fortaleza, CE)

Punishing Renee’s left leg with very heavy low kicks, Fabio seemed to have found the path that leads to the house of The Ultimate Fighter. Renee wouldn’t surrender the easy way though, doing justice to his name and finding the distance to adjust with good uppercuts, shaking his opponent on some occasions, and earning the decision win.

Fight 15 [featherweight] – Marcus “Vina” Pancini (Curitiba, PR) x Pedro Nobre (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

A right hand that landed perfectly on Pedro’s face was the beginning of  Vina’s path to the house. Even dizzy on the floor, Pedro tried to work a leg lock, but many right hands sealed the end of the fight by technical knockout in favor of Vina.

Fight 16 – [middleweight] Samuel Trindade (Boa Vista, RR) x Leonardo “Macarrão” Mafra (Camburiú, SC)
The last elimination of the night was considered  “Fight of the Night.” A duel of back-and-forth exchanges left White, Silva, and Belfort on their feet applauding at the end of two remarkable rounds. In the tiebreaking round three, fatigue had Samuel and Macarrão seemingly moving in slow motion, but that didn’t mean the fight was no longer exciting, as the two continued trading punches. With less than 12 seconds left, Samuel took his foe down and got the mount, going for a triangle, but time ran out. The final attack was not enough and Macarrão emerged victorious by decision.

If adrenaline was sky high after the first episode, rest assured that you will have a hard time handling the excitement coming up. In the weeks ahead, we will have Wanderlei and Vitor choosing their team members, their training sessions, a look at the fighters living in the house together, and the fights that will determine the first two Ultimate Fighters of Brasil.

Here are your final 16 competitors:

Middleweight
César Mutante
Leonardo Macarrão
Francisco Massaranduba
Delson Pé de Chumbo
Daniel Sarafian
Sérgio Moraes
Renée Forte
Thiago Bodão

Featherweight
Wagner Galeto
Anistávio Gasparzrinho
Hugo Wolverine
John Macapá
Godofredo Pepey
Rony Jason
Marcus Vinícius Vina
Rodrigo Damm

This past Tuesday, March 13th, it was a monumental occasion in Brazil as the first partnership between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a social project in the country took place.

Located in Rocinha, south of Rio de Janeiro, the Instituto Reação (Institute of Reaction), which was created by former Olympic judo fighter Flavio Canto, is the first NGO (non-governmental organization) to receive funds from the biggest MMA event in the world in favor of supporting the social inclusion of young people from poor communities through artistic and educational activities and sports.

Present for last week’s ceremony were three stars of the UFC who came from humble origins: featherweight champion Jose Aldo, middleweight contender Rousimar Palhares, and bantamweight standout Renan Barao, as well as the UFC’s  Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik, and actress and presenter Fiorella Mattheis, who acted as master of ceremonies.

The UFC’s investment covers the educational development and physical conditioning of athletes, with donations of equipment going to a weight room and a complete renovation aimed at the dojo for practicing martial arts. The initiative will benefit 400 children and 50 athletes of the Instituto Reação, which has been in existence for 12 years.

“Obviously we are looking at other projects, however we are 100% focused on the initiative that Flavio and his team have here in Rocinha,” said Zelaznik. “What makes the Institute Reação unique is the opportunity to train not only athletes, but the future citizens who can become great professionals. We’re talking about education for a lot of young people.”

Canto, who idealized the project with a group of friends in 2003, mentioned the importance of the partnership between the UFC and the Instituto Reação that besides Rocinha, it also develops his work in Cidade de Deus (Jacarepaguá) Tubiacanga (Ilha do Governador) and in Small Crusade (Lagoa).

“It’s a big dream, and we’re uniting the UFC, which is the biggest fighting event of the world, with the Instituto Reação that has the desire to be present more and more in the lives of young people here in Brazil,” he said. “We want to transform lives through the sport, and having a partner like the UFC is a big step to accomplishing that.”

A student of the project since the beginning, 31-year old Rodrigo Borges is now one of the institute’s teachers. A black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu and a college graduate with a degree in Physical Education, he is an example for all young people in the community who aspire to fulfill their dreams – whether it is to be a great athlete or a successful professional in several areas.

“I went to college and graduated thanks to the project,” said Borges. “It gave me a very different life perspective from the one I had before. The children of our project see how far we have come and they know that if you have that motivation, all you have to do is seek what you want to do to succeed in life.”

About the Institute

The institute is a nonprofit association that works in a low-income communities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, with the objective to promote human development and social inclusion through judo and and complementary activities – cultural trips, physiotherapeutic care, English lessons, and learning support, among others.

Founded in 2003 by Olympic medalist Flavio Canto and a group of friends, the Institute serves approximately 1,200 children and young people of ages four to 25 in five places: two in Cidade de Deus (Jacarepaguá), 1 in Tubiacanga (Ilha do Governador), 1 in Rocinha (Sao Conrado) and Pequena Cruzada (Lagoa), and has eight programs: Olympic, Work Market, Education, Scholarship, School of Judo, Cultural, Voluntary and Health.

The central idea is to use sports as a tool to develop social, cognitive, personal and productive skills in the students. The sport chosen to achieve the proposed objectives is judo, an Olympic sport, with strong educational components based on discipline, respect for others, non-violence, strengthening self-esteem, confidence and determination.

From judo, the gateway to the Institute, students are directed to social, cultural, environmental and educational activities.