Ten-time world champion Bruno Malfacine discusses his success and transition to MMA, and he’s got major aspirations.
After an unprecedented run in a competitive grappling career, Bruno Malfacine crossed over to the MMA scene, making his debut in Shooto Brazil last year. Since then, he’s worked his way to a 3-0 record and has made it look relatively easy.
Having compiled accolades from grappling is one thing, but now Bruno wants to work his way to championship gold in the cage. During an fortuitous trip to the Boston area, I was invited to a seminar he was conducting at Bernardo Faria’s Academy in Bedford. He was kind enough to grant us some time to discuss what lead to this move, and how he’s planning on taking over in his new venture.
(Note: more to come on the seminar itself, as well as the academy.)
Victor Rodriguez: First off, thank you very much for agreeing to do this. I wanted to talk first a bit about your decision to retire from competitive Jiu-Jitsu after having and absolutely legendary run and getting into MMA. How long had you been considering this decision to make the jump?
Bruno Malfacine: Since they opened the (flyweight) division in the UFC. That’s the time that I started to think about MMA, but it was a simple decision, you know? I was always concerned that I had to give up my whole career, my Jiu-Jitsu, as an instructor, as a competitor, and it took me actually a long time to make the decision. But you know, I would always think about it. Of course, before I received some offers to move some place to start MMA, to start some things, but I’m glad that not everything worked out well, because I think everything (now) is in a perfect place after (Ricardo) Liborio moved to Orlando. But after he moved here I think everything’s perfect. I feel like I could still be at my academy and teach my students, still doing Jiu-Jitsu, and I felt like for a while I could do both. That’s what I did. I was trying to test myself to see how I was going to do, and I also like, wanted to see if that was what I was looking for. But the main reason why is that I love to compete.
I’ve been competing ever since I was like, 12 years old, and I thought that it was getting close for me to retire from my Jiu-Jitsu career. I was at about seven world titles, and it wasn’t making me happy the more I would win after seven world titles. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore, you know what I mean? I was doing it to prove to myself how far I could go. But as I said, it was not a simple decision. Even after the victories I would miss something, like inside of me, something was missing. And that’s where I had to put everything together with Liborio, and that’s when I said “OK. I’m gonna try it. Later I’m not gonna regret (not doing it).” But last year, the plan was for me to compete at the Pan-Ams, and then retire at the Pan-Ams and just focus on my MMA career. But at that time I had eight world titles, I was so close to making number 10. I was going to do MMA and then try to compete at the Worlds. The Worlds is not easy, you know? I had to do two different things. I fought at the Pan-Ams last year in March, I fought at the Worlds in June at the same time that I was training for my MMA fight that I fought in August.
This year is the same, this year I fought in April in my (MMA) debut for BRAVE in Brazil, and right after I fought at the Worlds. That was my main goal, to get to number 10, to make history. At the beginning of my career, a lot of friends said that I could never make it. But I could never see it, you know? I was not going to stop with eight world titles. That’s why I decided to do last year and this year, even while trying to both (MMA and grappling) camps at the same time. Then I fought the Worlds in June, and right after June I fought (MMA) in September, which was my last fight. I think that now finally, I’m trying to put all my energy not just into my MMA career — I’m still teaching, I have to focus on my students, but I can tell that they know I don’t have any more pressure that I had that I had to compete at Worlds. I’m glad I could make it. I’m finally happy and I don’t feel any more pressure on myself.
VR: If I could ask: you’ve already fought in BRAVE twice, can you discuss your status with the organization?
BM: Yeah, I’m happy with BRAVE, they’ve treated me so well, they’ve been treating us so good. I have so much respect for everyone that I’ve worked with. We don’t have any plans right after, but I still believe that I need to get a little more experience. In my last fight I was able to submit in the first round, I can barely tell how it is to fight full rounds, five minutes. I think I need something like that to see the level that I am at.
VR: So what is the status of your current training situation. I understand you’ve done some training at American Top Team, do you have a rotating set of training partners?
BM: Actually, I have never ever been with American Top Team. I think people get it confused because of Master Liborio. I just went to American Top Team one time, because of this connection to them. I have friends over there as well, but I never trained there. I always trained out of my school here in Orlando, where I teach my class. I’ve been training since day one with Ricardo Liborio. We brought Sergio Cunha in to be my striking coach, a coach that had an opportunity to many world champions. I’ve been training at my school, and we have an octagon here. The way we’re doing it now, Master Liborio and Sergio (Cunha) are bringing guys from my weight division — like 130lbs/135lbs, even 140lbs. Guys that can provide great training for me. And that’s what we’re doing now. I train at my school, with my students and under Ricardo Liborio.
VM: What has been the most difficult thing for you to adapt to as you’ve made your way over to MMA?
BM: Of course, the biggest thing would be the striking, you know? But I knew since the beginning that the transition to connect the striking with wrestling and the submission game, I knew I would do it well. We would do it as we planned. I still have to prove a lot in my striking, and I think we did a lot from my first fight last year. I’ve started to feel more comfortable now, Last year I took my first (MMA) fight like, training striking only on weekends. Like, Saturday and Sunday only. And today, I don’t even know how I did that. Today, I would not do it. Because now I know what a real MMA camp. At the beginning of the year, we started putting more energy into my camp. Now I know how to do train without training striking too much, without sparring too much. But it was a great experience, I can’t complain. I do feel that I’m there with the transition, and I’m feeling more comfortable every time in the octagon. You can see in my last fight that I started already to connect everything: the striking the wrestling the Jiu-Jitsu, etc. It’s not Jiu-Jitsu, it’s Jiu-Jitsu for MMA. It’s not wrestling, it’s wrestling for MMA. Like, everything has a transition for MMA. I think I’m actually doing really well.
VR: Now that you’ve had a nice “home base” situation — being able to train at your school — even with that support system, have you had any interest in training somewhere else? Find some different training partners, or get a different feel for things?
BM: Honestly I’ve never, ever thought about that. I dunno, I think I’ve got great coaches by my side with Ricardo Liborio and Sergio take care of me very well. They’re the ones that are going to tell me the right time to do things. Right now, things are going great. I know they want the best for me. I trust that, but we all decide everything together. They’re gonna have to tell me.
VR: One thing I’ve noticed is that when you win any of your fights, there’s always a sense of exhilaration, you get very emotional. Does that feel fresher now because you’re going through a different experience?
BM: Yeah, that’s crazy that things like that can be so new for me. It’s something different. The reason why I started MMA was because I was missing this feeling and I couldn’t find it until my first (MMA) fight in Brazil. After my first fight I felt that that was what I was looking for. I feel like the same thing that I’m feeling now is the same thing I felt in my first two years as a black belt, winning world titles. That’s kind of like, I’m so happy that I could finally find it. That’s what I was missing and that’s what I look forward to. It makes me so happy. Honestly, I’ve had three fights and it was three easy fights. But I do also think that I don’t have to put any pressure on myself. I’m making the transition to a new sport, and I see people trying to tell me “When is he going to fight a guy that’s 3-0 or 5-0?” I’m still 3-0 now. I was 0-0 and people were telling me to fight experienced names. Why? I don’t have any experience in MM. I don’t have any kind of ego. Just like a beginner. I’m not trying to make an impression because I’m a Jiu-Jitsu champion. You can see so many people cannot succeed in an MMA career, the same way many MMA fighters cannot succeed in Jiu-Jitsu. It’s two different sports. I’m trying to not put that pressure (on myself) that people are trying to put on me. I’m just trying to learn with each new experience, I’m just really happy right now in my life.
VR: You did mention something at the seminar the other day — you said you walk around at around 130lbs. Have you ever had any interest in fighting at 115lbs?
BM: No, actually I’m walking around at 135. I think 115 would not be possible. The lowest I go is the 125 division. I do have a nutritionist that takes care of my diet, and we’ve talked about putting on more weight. But my coaches don’t want me to do that. My decision was that I couldn’t put on that much weight to sacrifice myself the day before my fight. My weight cut is really good. I make the weight well, I feel strong. If I need to put on more weight later, we can do that. For now, I’m doing everything that’s possible with a professional by my side.
VR: Do you have any information regarding your next fight in February?
BM: Right now I’m on a seminar tour in Bali, Kuwait, and come back next week. Then I have to go to New Zealand, etc. I informed them of that, so we’re looking for middle or end of February.
VR: What’s the worst part about doing camps for your fights? Or at least the most surprising?
BM: Oh, man! Of course there are so many things that are not nice. So far everything is easier than my Jiu-Jitsu camps. I feel the the Jiu-Jitsu camps were the worst. I feel like I’m always improving and with less pressure it should be good for my MMA career.
VR: I have to ask you one last thing: what food do you miss the most when you’re doing your weight cut.
BM: Actually, my diet’s not that crazy because I don’t have to cut much weight. I have to eat clean, but I don’t go to crazy with my diet. I do know how to control myself for a while, my focus is bigger than my desire for sweetness!
Bruno’s currently touring and doing seminars for the time being. You can follow more of his adventures on Twitter, or via his Instagram account.