By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Marcelo Alonso

After a lot of expectation of Vitor Belfort return to the octagon, today the Affliction confirmed his back. After been notice by TATAME about the confirmation of the fight, Belfort celebrate. “I was not knowing… That’s nice, What a blessing. I was going to call my agent now, we were expecting that… That’s wonderful”, cheered up the athlete, which will face the North American Terry Martin that came from the UFC after a two win and three losses performance. “Now with this good new we are going to study and work at his mistakes… I am going with everything”, confirmed Vitor. Check out the complete card:

COMPLETE CARD (may change)

Affliction
Anahein, California, USA
Saturday, July 19, 2008

- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia;
- Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo;
- Ben Rothwell vs. Andrei Arlovski;
- Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento;
- Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira vs. Vernon White;
- Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead;
- Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin;

Other bouts:
- Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko;
- Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens;
- Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young;
- J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight;
- Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Eduardo Ferreira

Near from his Godz of War debut, new North American MMA event, which will be hold on July 21, Milton Vieira talked with TATAME about his expectations for the fight and the trains with Darrel Gholar at BTT. Confident of the victory against the North American David Gardner, Miltinho also bet on Murilo Bustamante, BTT leader that will fight at this event too. “I had never trained as much as train now and I going to value what I done, to try to submit or to knock out. I am ready to finish the fight before the end”, said Miltinho, that also talked about a return bout against Luiz Azeredo (Chute Boxe) and his team mate win, Rousimar Toquinho, at the UFC. Check out HERE the complete interview.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Josh Hedges

Thales Leites won at the UFC 85 was more dramatic than the Brazilian expected. After facing a hand fracture while he was training, the Nova União athlete faced the experienced Nate Marquardt, who has just applying some illegal strikes during the fight. "It was a good fight, I think I was well prepared and with gas, I went well until the end even with the nose bleeding. After the knee, he still gave me an illegal elbow in the head, and then a body slam ... He made three or four illegal things and was not been disqualified", said Thales, which was affected by the illegal strikes but nevertheless get out with the victory from London. "It is the sense of done duty. See that all the training and effort weren’t in vain, and see the recognition of the public shows that it’s worth and that I will do everything again", said the Brazilian, which still had to listen from the North-American a return bout request. "He wanted a return bout, but I think he had an obligation to knock me out after that knee he gave", finished Thales.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Josh Hedges

Brandon Vera charges have a reply from the Brazilian Fabricio Werdum. After announce disappointment with the bout judge and with the Braziliam fighter, at the UFC 85 that was hold last Saturday (7), Vera insinuated that Werdum was afraid to face him. Always thoughtful with the press, Werdum send a email answering the North American words. “I am very happy with my win. I came to to show my word and my train I made an excellent fight wining in the first round. I can’t go against the judge opinion, they are competent and, if the judge didn’t stop, he would stop two punches after that. My objective is the belt, I don’t have time to a return bout against Vera. He was in my way and I take him out. I didn’t discard the possibility of face him and knock him out again. I am very well prepared, but before that he has to comeback to the end of the line”, said Fabrício that now is focus in a possible heavyweight UFC title bout.

Photo Marcelo Alonso

As it happened when they first met each other on the open weight final 2006, Xande Ribeiro defeated Roger Gracie and become the champion. With three minutes of fight, Xande already had 4x0 after take Roger down twice. Roger got two points and was trying to take Xande’s arm when the time was over. With the 4x2 victory, Xande become one of the few open weight two-times champion. Check out the complete results at TATAME.com BJJ Worlds special website HERE.

By Eduardo Ferreira and Carmen Teixeira
Photo by Marcelo Alonso

Check below all the masculine and feminine black-belt finals at the BJJ Worlds Championship and the semi-finals confronts.

Black-belt results:

Rooster:

Semifinals:
Hisuke Homa submitted Felipe Costa with na arm-lock at a triangle
Caio Terra submitted Bruno Malfacine with a stroke

Super Feather:

Semifinals:
Samuel Braga defeated Makoto Sawada
Dai Yoshioka defeated Philipe Freitas

Feather:

Semifinals:
Rubens Cobrinha submitted Theodoro Canal with a stroke
Bruno Frazzato defeated Mário Reis by 4x2

Lightweight:

Semifinals:
Lucas Lepri submitted Jonatas Tagarela
Celso Vinícius defeated Michael Langhi by 2x0

Middleweight:

Semifinals:
Willian Cooper submitted Otávio Souza with a knee lock
Sérgio Moraes submitted Victor Estima with a back stroke

Medium Heavy:

Semifinals:
Bráulio Estima defeated Murilo Santana by 4x2
André Galvão will face Marcel Louzada

Heavyweight:

Semifinals:
Xande Ribeiro defeated Tarsys Humphreys by 2x0
Alexandre Souza defeated Roberto Tussa by 2x0

Super Heavyweight:

Semifinals:
Rafael Lovato Jr. Defeated Roberto Ciborg Abreu by 8x4
Antônio Braga Neto submitted Marcel Fortuna with a kimura

Ultra Heavyweight:

Semifinals:
Roger Gracie defeated Eduardo Telles by 3x1
Leo Leite defeated Gabriel Vella by 3x0

Black-belt finals:

Rooster: Caio Terra (César Gracie) will face Yusuke Honma (Paraestra)
Super Feahter: Samuel Braga (Gracie Barra) will face Dai Yoshioka (Tokyo Yellow Man)
Feather: Rubens Cobrinha (Alliance) will face Bruno Frazzato (Brasa)
Lightweight: Lucas Lepri (Alliance) will face Celsinho Vinícius (Ryan Gracie)
Middleweight: Sérgio Moraes (Alliance) will face Willian Cooper (Alliance)
Medium Heavy: Bráulio Estima (GB) will face Marcel Louzada ou André Galvão (Brasa)
Heavyweight: Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) will face Alexandre Souza (Gracie Floripa)
Super Heavyweight: Rafael Lovato Jr. (Gracie Humaitá) will face Antônio Braga Neto (Gordo JJ)
Ultra Heavyweight: Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) will face Leo Leite (Brasa)
Openweight: Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) will face Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá)

Feminine blac-belt finals:

Rooster: Takato Abe (Paraestra) will face Miriam Cerqueira (UGF)
Feather: Laurence Cousin (Behring) will face Bianca Barreto (Gracie Barra Alagoas)
Lightweight: Kyra Gracie (Gracie Barra) will face Luana Alzuguir (Barbosa Jiu-Jitsu)
Middleweight: Hannete Quadros (Carlson Gracie Team) will face Fernanda Mazzelli (Aguinaldo Goes)
Medium Heavy: Ana Laura Cordeiro (GB) will face Penny Thomas (Gracie Humaitá)
Heavyweight: Gabrielle Garcia (Triumphe) will face Carmem Casca-Grossa (De La Riva)
Openweight: Kyra Gracie (GB) and Ana Laura Cordeiro (GB) won the category

By Bernardo Seabra
Photo Marcelo Alonso

ADCC open weight champion, Robert Drysdale were yesterday at the BJJ Worlds to watch the competition and talked why he .didn’t went to the mat. “I don’t like to fight if I am not well prepared and trained”, said Drysdale that follow Kron Gracie defeat and analized it: “It was too much pressure to him. What he made on purple and brow belts are already at the history”.

Focusing himself at MMA, Drysdale talked about his plains to the future, including the fight against Roger at the 2009 ADCC. “It’s almost right to me to do a Boxing amateur fight nest month, I am going to debut at the MMA until the end of the year and I am going to dedicate five months of 2009 only for my fight against Roger. I want to win this fight a lot. I am going to be more than ready”.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photos Marcelo Alonso

After submit all his opponents at the purple and brown belt and conquer all titles, Kron Gracie came to the black belt as one of the favorites. Debuting with his new belt at the BJJ Worlds, the son of the legend Rickson Gracie was surprised by the Alliance black belt Sérgio Moraes. Sérgio first appearance to the audience was on MTL, when he fought by Murilo Bustamante team at the MMA event that was hold at São Paulo, November last year.

Beginning well, Sérgio took Kron down twice, passed the guard and mounted twice. Next to the end of the fight, Sergio was 13 points heading the fight (15x2) and got a choke from the mounted position, submitting Kron Gracie and driving crazy the Alliance crowd that watched the fight. Although the defeat, Kron is a strong name at the black belt. With only 19 years old, the debut went not as Kron expected, but the defeat would not put out his historical from titles, promising to the future a lot of excitement at the young black belt.

By Guilherme Cruz

Directly connected to the main event of the UFC 85, between Thiago "Pitbull" Alves and Matt Hughes, the champion of the weight category, Georges St. Pierre, analyzed the fight that can credit the Brazilian to dispute the belt, if Thiago Pitbull beat the former champion Hughes. "It's a difficult fight to bet in somebody. I think Matt Hughes is very good, and if he take the fight seriously he can win, but depends on how the fight is going to follow. Keeping on top, Thiago Alves is going to win, but if it goes to the ground Matt Hughes will win", said GSP, which prefers not to bet on anyone for the fight.

“I don’t know. Depends on how the athletes are going to prepare themselves. Matt Hughes hás the reputation of sometimes don’t train hard and don’t be in a good shape, but when he made it he is very tough. For one side, Thiago Alves is a tough guy too and improve a lot, so I would not bet on this fight”, said the champion, which analyzed a fight between him and the Braziliam. “I don’t know, it could be one day, if he defeats Matt Hughes. I respect him a lot, he is a great fighter, a good person too, a good model to the sport, just like Anderson Silva is. I respect him a lot”, said the champion.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Marcelo Alonso

Rodrigo Minotauro team at the reality show The Ultimate Fighter won two gorgeous backings to face Frank Mir team. Big Nog will have the help of the UFC champion and best world fighter pound for pound Anderson Silva and from Lyoto Machida that had a great performance against Tito Ortiz at the UFC 84. Anderson and Lyoto are already at the TUF house to help the Rodrigo Minotauro team training.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Marcelo Alonso

Although the news at the site Subfighter.tv, saying that Wanderlei Silva could already have his next bout scheduled to face Rashad Evans at the UFC, his physical coach, Rafael Alejarra, denied any contact from the event to the fighter about his next fight. “If they have mouth, they can talk. Nobody from UFC call us to talk about the next fight. Wanderlei is on vocations at Hawaii , I talked with him on the fone and there is nothing right for the next bout”, guaranteed Alejarra, denying the information.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Josh Hedges

José Aldo WEC debut could not be better. With a 15 thousand people audience packing the local to see the night fights, the Nova União athlete attacked Alexandre Pequeno since the beginning of the fight and decides the game at the second round with the TKO, punishing Pequeno at the ground until the judge interruption. “It was a good fight, it was my opportunity to grow and I got it. I was hopping to knocked him out, that was my idea. He tried to take me down and as more he came more I save energy and after that I went with everything. I cant explain, it was the best feeling of my life, even more that I won. The opponent was very tough but everything went right”, said Aldo that have his eye on the WEC belt.

“I hope in the future to win the WEC belt, but I will do it step by step. I will have a next opponent and, like that, we are going to go up step by step until the top, that is the belt. I am with a five bouts contract, and doesn’t matter who is, I am focus and training hard, just thinking at this. Who they choose as opponent doesn’t matter, I have to train and think at the top”, said Aldo, that keeps his trains at Nova União, waiting for his next WEC opponent.

Photos Eduardo Ferreira

See the beset shots of the last year BJJ Mundial, which for the first time went out of Brazil, been hold at United States, at long beach, California and TATAME was there at the Califórnia State University. For the first time in history, a Gracie family member was the absolute Champion. After four second places, Roger Gracie submitted Romulo Barral with a choke from the back and win the Absolute. The only no Brazilian to win theMundial was North American Rafael Lovato, that defeated Luis Big Mac at Pesadíssimo, matching BJ Penn (Pena at 2000), as the only ones no Brazilians, Mundial champions at black belt. Among the females, Hannete Quadros won the title for the fourth time. Check up the best moments of the last year event and check out HERE the exclusive TATAME Worlds 2008 site:

The WEC middleweight champion will be back on the octagon at September. After beating Chael Sonnen at WEC 31, Paulo Filho had to listen his opponent say that he hadn’t tapped and that Paulo ran out of a rematch, settled down to WEC 34, when the Brazilian fighter had problems with depression. “Paulão has 98kg now, and he’s already losing weight. The contract arrives here tomorrow and he’ll sign for the fight at September 10^th. We’ll give Sonnen a rematch, because he keeps saying that he didn’t tapped and all those things, and now Paulo well keep hurting him until the judge tells him to stop”, guarantees Josuel Distak, Paulo Filho’s coach.

Photos Marcelo Alonso

The name changed from Qualifying to Warriors, but Jungle Fight showed good fights, as happened on the others editions. At the event that was hold at Minotauro Team Train Center , at Rio de Janeiro, on May 31st, the UFC champion Georges St. Pierre, the Jiu-Jitsu legend Rickson Gracie, Rogério Minotouro and many others names from the fight meet each other outside the Jungle octagon to wath the night’s fights. Check out below the complete results and the beset shots HERE of the successfull night that consecreated athletes as Johnny Eduardo, that knoched out Erinaldo Pitbull in the main event of the evening.

COMPLETE RESULTS

Jungle Fight Warriors
Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday, May 31^st, 2008

- Ronnys Torres (Nova União) submited Francinei Farinaze (Minotauro Team) with a rear nacked chocke at the R2.
- Paulo Thiago (Constrictor Team) submited Paulo Cavera (Macaco Gold Team) with a kata-gatame at the R1;
- Thiago Jambo (Minotauro Team) defeated Everton Santana (Macaco Gold Team) at judge’s decision;
- André Tadeu (Clube de Luta) knocked out Daniel Moraes (ICJG) at R2;
- Johnny Eduardo (Boxe Thai/ Nova União) knocked out Erinaldo Pitbull (Gracie Fusion) at R1;
- Eric Silva (Alliance-ES) submited Carlos Eduardo dos Santos (RFT) with a rear nacked chocke at R3;
- Alan Frois (MGT) knocked out Ricardo Pessanha (Alliance - Campos ) at R1;
- Leonardo Tangerina (Gracie Fusion) defeated Bruno Menezes (Champion - BA) at judge’s decision.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Marcelo Alonso

The physical trainer Rafael Alejarra, which takes care of the trains of athletes such as Wanderlei Silva, Ronaldo Jacaré and Robert Drysdale, revealed that he is already at the next edition of the "The Ultimate Fighter", the UFC reality show, to do the physical training from Frank Mir team, which will face the Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira team. "I am already at the Ultimate Fighter house. The recordings are already at the third week and it will take another four weeks. The Jiu-Jitsu coach of the team is Robert Drysdale. I want to explain that I am preparing Frank Mir team for the house. He called me to help him in the house, for the show", revealed Alejarra, who is a friend of the Brazilian UFC champion and highlighted the professionalism of this work.

"It's nothing personal and I will not train Frank Mir. The athletes from the house has nothing to do with that, Minotauro didn’t call me to help and Frank invited me and it is a big opportunity, quite a sight here. It has a good audience and I will not loose the opportunity to release my work", said the physical trainer, that said thet he would not train Frank Mir if the fight between him and Minotauro get confirmed. "This preparation is only for the program, if he face Rodrigo I wold not train him" assured Alejarra. Check out HERE Alejarra website by physical fitness.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Chute Boxe

The former UFC champion Vitor Belfort began a special preparation for his fight at Affliction, new American MMA event which is promising great performances with great bouts. Belfort was at Curitiba and began his training at Chute Boxe academy before return to Rio de Janeiro, to prepare his return to Curitiba . "This partnership is something promising, I always dreamed of train and meet at the Chute Boxe. Nowadays, in , we must always seek to help each other and Chute Boxe hosted me in a impressive way, I am grateful for the way master Rudimar and the team receive me", said Belfort to the Chute Boxe official website. The athlete, who has training Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling at Chute Boxe and will fight at the 83kg category in Affliction, is preparing himself at the team that he has already faced in the MMA, as at the knockout victory over Wanderlei Silva at the UFC Brazil.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Josh Hedges

Trying to raise himself at the UFC, after the losses to Randy Couture and Fabrício Werdum, Gabriel Napão Gonzaga return to octagon at the UFC 86, which will be hold at Las Vegas once again on July 5^th with two more Brazilian at the card, Ricardo "Cachorrão" and Gleidson Tibau . Manager and leader of Team Link, team that defends, March Alvan gave a exclusive interview to TATAME and talk about last Gonzaga’s performances, the latest news of the team and spoke of the next Napão bout at UFC 86. "Napão signed a new contract for a long period and he is very happy. UFC treats him very well and he has many fans wanting to see him fighting again", said Alvan at the interview that you can check out tomorrow at TATAME.com.

By Guilherme Cruz
Photo Marcelo Alonso

The day that he will return to the American MMA is coming and Murilo Bustamante is training hard to restart, on June 21^st, his way with the right foot in the United States. Away from the U.S. events since 2002, when he fought for the last time at the UFC octagon, the leader of BTT will face Josh Haynes at Godz Wars, new event that will have also at the card Milton Vieira, another athlete of his team. "I was training at BTT Las Vegas and now I have two weeks and a half to devote myself exclusively to training. Traveling is always difficult, but managed to train and now I'm going to dedicate myself to my fight here. Miltinho and I are going strong", said Murilo, who is confident in the success of the event. "The expectation is that everything goes right, that the event is all that they are promising and that we have a performance at the same level of the show. I arrived yesterday and I have already trained at night and we are working, we will make everything possible to give a good show to the North-American public", said the leader of the Brazilian Top Team.

By Eduardo Ferreira
Photo Marcelo Alonso

One of the greatest Wrestlers of all time is back to Brazilian Top Team (BTT). The North-American Darrel Gholar arrived in this week to help Murilo Bustamante and Milton Vieira training to the debut at Godz of War on June 21^st at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, United States. "Darrel is going to add a lot to the whole team training. He is a great wrestling coach and everyone here in BTT already knows him very well. We have a new structure and it will bring benefits to everyone", said Sergio Cunha, Muay Thai coach of the team, which along with Sergio Babú and Eraldo Paes, has been leading the team's training sessions and helping the leader Murilo Bustamante in this final training phase.