"Boi" at Brazilian Team Nationals. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Alliance is loaded with well-established athletes from the lightest weight groups – like Bruno Malfacine, Rubens Cobrinha, and Michael Langhi – to the heaviest – like Antonio Peinado, Bernardo Faria, Léo Nogueira, Tarsis Humphreys and others.
However, the one who grabbed the most attention at the Brazilian Team Nationals 2010 was Fabiano Souza, aka. Boi. The fighter tapped his opponents out with kneebars in both his matches, even the decider against Vinícius Marinho, handing his team the win.
“The kneebar and omplata are two positions I practice a lot at the academy and I’m doing well in competition. I have their timing down pat,” he remarks.
Boi teaches at the Alliance branch in Bragança Paulista, his city of birth, and he trains at the team headquarters in São Paulo thrice a week alongside brown belt Andressa Correia. Although he not that well known in Jiu-Jitsu as the team’s main representatives, the black belt has racked up a lot of mileage in the fight world.
“I haven’t competed that much in the CBJJ events, but I took runner-up in the Brazilian Nationals 2004 as a purple belt after having seven matches. I also took third at the 2004 Worlds. I lived in Rio de Janeiro for two-and-a-half years, training at Black House when I dedicated myself to MMA (2w, 1l). At the last Worlds, in California, I lost in the quarterfinals to Guto Campos. It ended in a draw and they handed him the win, but I feel I deserved it for combativeness,” says the medium heavyweight.
Boi performs a kneebar, one of his greatest weapons. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Following the solid showing, Boi hopes to carry on doing well to fulfill his greatest dream of obtaining the world title in California.
“I’m big on competition. I want the IBJJF Worlds and I’m open to MMA, too. But I want the world title first, because it can open a lot of doors for me. I’m going to do the World Pro qualifiers this year, in Natal, and the Fepa World Cup. Next year I hope to keep up with the entire IBJJF calendar starting with the European Championship. I’m going to make some people uncomfortable in those events!” he warns.