Paulão accompanied by Amaury Bitetti and Julio Muniz. Photo: Carlos Ozório
With a lineup studded with stars like Paulo Filho, Fabio Maldonado and Marcelo Zulu, Memorial Fight went down in the city of Santos this Friday evening. The stands of the Rebouças Gymnasium were packed, and celebrities like Big Brother Brazil winner Marcelo Dourado, singer Frank Aguiar and former Miss Brazil Joseane Oliveira approved of the bouts, all of which were decided by knockout or submission. All the proceeds were directed to victims of a fire in Vila Telma that left 200 people without homes.
Paulão pounds out the knockout. Photo: Carlos Ozório
In the evening’s main event, Paulo Filho didn’t give Chile’s Daniel Gabriel a chance. Despite the Chilean’s 20 kg heavier frame, Carlson Gracie black belt Paulo duly went about taking the fight to the ground so as to skirt his bigger opponent’s knockout power. From there Paulão passed guard, mounted and pounded Daniel into desistance, all in the first round.
Maldonado tries for submission. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Just one week after an exhausting win at Bitetti Combat, Fabio Maldonado returned to action. Against Peru’s Jackson Moura, the boxer broke from his characteristic style and won on pure Jiu-Jitsu. He got the takedown, sunk a kimura lock and finished up with a guillotine. In another of the evening’s heavily-anticipated bouts, Marcelo Zulu started out suffering a powerful blow from Felipe Bronx. But Zulu fell back on his strength, his wrestling, and took his opponent down. Another takedown in the second round led to the fight-ending ground-and-pound knockout.
Zulu gets the takedown. Photo: Carlos Ozório
A well-known striker in Brazil, Diego Sebastião made his MMA debut on the right foot. Samuel Ferreira pulled guard and tried for a heel hook, but Sebastião would have none of it and pounded on his opponent for a first-round knockout. One of the liveliest bouts of the evening was between Leandro Feijão and Peru’s Jerry Tolentino. The fighters flowed between positions, but in the second round Tolentino made it to the mount and finished with a slick armbar. Alan Froes didn’t have any trouble before his lightning quick knockout of Marcio Fernandes in their bout.
Check out the other results:
Nazareno submitted Antonico via guillotine in R1
Ewerton Dentinho submitted Ailton Alves via kneebar in R1
Fernando Leme defeated Anderson Toca via TKO (doctor’s intervention) in between R1 and 2
Marcio Nunes defeated Ozório de Oliveira via TKO (doctor’s intervention) in between R1 and 2
Anderson Negão submitted Giovani Lima via triangle in R1
Big Brother Brazil winner Dourado and the ring girls. Photo: Carlos Ozório