Popovitch (black) faces Gregor in ADCC; Renzo observes in the background. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Two ground-fighting wizards, Pablo Popovitch and Gregor Gracie have faced each other before. At the last installment of the ADCC, in Barcelona, they went at it in the under 77kg division. There will be a sequel to the matchup at the UFC Fan Expo to take place August 27 and 28 in Boston.
“It’s true. It looks like he’s going to be my opponent at the next Grapplers Quest, at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston. We’re going to have a 10-minute no-gi match,” recounts Popovitch to GRACIEMAG.com.
After getting past Gregor in the ADCC, Popovitch again met with victory in the final, by passing the guard of the sublime Marcelo Garcia. The black belt remembers the match with Gracie:
“It was tough; Gregor is really strong and has trained Jiu-Jitsu for a long time. I feel the match will be a good one; he’s a top athlete who gets better with every competition. At the ADCC I was saving myself to face Marcelo Garcia and I fought to win. At the end of the ten minutes I was on his back with a snug rear-naked choke. In a supermatch I can let my game flow more without worrying about a next match,” he comments.
Popovitch vs Gregor at ADCC 2009. Photo: Carlos Eduardo Ozório
While he prepares for this next challenge, Popovitch carries on with his labors as a teacher.
“I have two academies here in Florida (Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines) and the doors are always open for anyone interested in learning Jiu-Jitsu, be them beginners or advanced. For further information, you can visit my website, www.bjjcenter.com,” he says in closing.