Set to bring it at ADCC 2011, Léo Vieira has added wrestling to his training. Here, he appears with friends like wrestler Antoine Jaoude (left). Photo: publicity.
The organizer’s of ADCC 2011, coming up in September, aren’t looking to put on just another event; they’re pulling out all the stops, calling up big guns for a star-studded roster.
Leonardo Vieira – who had one of the most spectacular matches of the 2000 installment of the show, against the gigantic Mark Kerr – is likely to put in yet another appearance. Rather than competing in the under-66 kg division, of which he is twice champion, the leader of CheckMat team has chosen not to suffer through the weight cut and will compete in the under-77 kg weight class, where Marcelo Garcia should figure as well.
Another force looking likely to appear in Nottingham, England, is heavyweight João Assis, the Jiu-Jitsu coach at Fabrício Werdum’s California academy.