Appointed one of the 10 fighters for GRACIEMAG.com readers to watch out for in 2010, Philipe “Furão” Della Monica will have a big challenge ahead of him. The fighter faces Kron Gracie in a supermatch, one of the attractions at the 5th edition of the Arizona International Open on the 13th and 14th of March, in Mesa, Arizona.
Philipe’s coach at Gracie Barra America Marcio Feitosa is confident in his student. “Training is going off! Furão is sharp and wants to make some noise!” he fired off as soon as he answered GRACIEMAG.com’s call.
The Jiu-Jitsu community in Arizona will come together to watch the match. In the end the Gracie family and Jiu-Jitsu come out winners; it’s good for everyone” Marcio Feitosa
“Ttraining was great. He trained here with Romulo Barral, Kayron Gracie, Flávio Cachorrinho, Otávio Sousa, Lucas Rocha and a lot of other tough guys. Every Monday and Wednesday are hard-core training days, Master (Carlos Gracie Jr.) shows up, too, to polish up his game and the physical conditioning work is going strong. Aside from all that, he’s going to open his own academy on April 1,” he said.
Philipe Della Monica also trains with the Professor Marcelo Arroz. Photo: GRACIEMAG archives
Of course, the opponent in this challenge is regarded with great respect. However, without giving any clues, Feitosa says their strategy is already in place.
“Kron has a weight advantage. But I took a look at his game and I think there’s a hole that we can exploit, neutralize that advantage, and Furão wins the fight. ”
About his being from Gracie Barra and training an athlete to face a Gracie, Marcio believes competition can only add positive things.
“Everybody wins with this fight, because they’re two top athletes and they’ll make some noise. It’s very likely the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community in Arizona will get together to watch this fight. In the end the Gracie family and Jiu-Jitsu come out winners; it’s good for everyone. Moreover, the Gracie family always had this type of culture. When not fighting some MMA fight or competing in some championship, the stories I hear are about really intense competitiveness between them, which always kept them sharp. And that’s what the Master is teaches us and that’s what I teach Furão ,” concluded the coach.
To learn more about the event, which also features a supermatch between Robson Moura and champion of Japan Nobuhiko Kitahara, click here.