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