Formiga gets quick finish in Natal

"The Atomic Ant" Jussier / Photo: Carlos Ozório

A good-sized crowd turned up at Natal, Brazil’s SESI gymnasium for the inaugural Fort MMA event. Headlining the nine-fight card, team Nova União flyweight Jussier Formiga showed why he figures among the best fighters in his division in the world. The Jair Lourenço pupil needed just 3:51 minutes to put his Jiu-Jitsu to use and submit the previously unbeaten Rodrigo Índio with a rear-naked choke. The win brings record to 11 wins in his 12-fight career.

Other standouts on the night were Wendres “Godzilla”, who knocked Renan Virgula out in the first round.

Showing they mean business, Fort MMA’s promoters paid out “best-of” bonuses to the fighters who put on the best show. Best-submission bonus went to Jussier Formiga. The knockout of the night was Gleyson Silva’s, for the technical knockout he scored on Tarcisio Figueiredo. Fight of the night went to Arivaldo Batista and Yccaro Major, won by Arivaldo via heelhook in the third round.

Fort MMA Championship
Sesi gymnasium, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
December 15, 2011

Jussier “Formiga” da Silva subbed Rodrigo “Índio” Santos via rear-naked choke in R1;

Guilherme Rodrigues defeated Anderson “Leão” Salustino via split decision;

Valdines Silva defeated Joao Paulo de Souza via unanimous decision;

Anderson “Fala Mansa” Diniz defeated Ciro “Bad Boy” Rodrigues via unanimous decision;

Wendres “Godzilla” Silva defeated Renan “Vírgula” Santos via desistance in R1;

Marcio “Velaminho” Andrade submitted Ednaldo Mendes de Souza via arm triangle in R2;

Juliano Silva vs Aloisio Paixão rules No Contest;

Arivaldo Batista submitted Yccaro “Major” Marques via heelhook in R3;

Gleyson da Silva defeated Tarcisio Figueiredo via TKO in R2;