Gabriel Gonzaga should fight in Brazil more often.
The former heavyweight title contender impressed in his octagon return at UFC 142 on Saturday night, picking up a first-round submission victory over undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt Ednaldo Oliveira.
Gonzaga, a world-renowned BJJ specialist, has been criticized in the past for ignoring his grappling strengths and opting to stand and bang. This certainly wasn’t the case at UFC 142. Fans finally saw a Gonzaga who was committed to getting the fight to the ground and utilizing his submission skills.
There are still a plethora of doubters surrounding Gonzaga’s recent resurgence. Despite a steep skid in recent years, Gonzaga is still a relevant name in the heavyweight division. It’s going to take much more than a submission win over Oliveira to convince fans Gonzaga has finally seen the promised land.
The Brazilian superstar was cut from the UFC back in 2010 following back-to-back losses to Junior Dos Santos and Brendan Schaub.
If Gonzaga has truly learned from past mistakes, he has the skill set to be a dark horse in the heavyweight division.
Here are five fights for him to take next.