If the name Cristiano Marcello rings a bell for MMA fans, it’s most likely because they know him as the former Chute Boxe coach who famously fought Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett in a surprisingly technical backstage brawl at a Pride event in 2005.
But in addition to his work as a trainer at Chute Boxe and now at his own gym, CM System, Marcello has also revitalized his own fighting career in 2010, and on Saturday he takes on Guido Canetti at Bitetti Combat 8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Below, Marcello talks with us via e-mail about his upcoming fight, the scrap that spawned his internet fame and his favorite memories from the Chute Boxe days.