Rio's mayor shows off belt. Photo: Carlos Ozório.
One hundred and twenty six installments of the UFC later and Brazil’s “O Globo” newspaper seems to have decided to reward MMA the treatment it had for the sport during the days of Helio and Carlson Gracie, at the start of last century.
The praiseworthy stance from the newspaper was taken with the disciple of the very Carlson in UFC 126, Rio de Janeiro’s Vitor Belfort, who will headline the event against Anderson Silva, so far undefeated in the octagon.
The “Por dentro do Globo” (“Inside Globo”) column of the newspaper usually written by editor-in-chief Rodolfo Fernandes, on page 2 of the journal, highlights the presence in Las Vegas of the newspaper’s sport website editor, Luiz Filipe Barboza, who also promises ample coverage of UFC Rio in August.
And the column wraps up wielding a sledge hammer in defense of the sport in Brazil: “The articles are not restricted to the website. The newspaper as well is making room for fight sports on its pages. It is a commitment from sports editor Antônio Nascimento and assistant editors Tadeu de Aguiar and Iúri Totti, who are going for a knockout on prejudice. There are those in the broader media who scorn MMA, some feeling it is excessively violent. Growing acceptance from the public, however, is the response to changes made in recent years, with stricter rules and special precautions taken to protect the athletes’ health. It’s all very organized and professional.”
The fans are now all joining the chorus for MMA to continue to feature in one of Brazil’s biggest newspapers and hoping major Jiu-Jitsu championships will some day feature on its pages as well.