It was a Saturday like any other at Ibirapuera park. To Johil Oliveira, it seemed Jungle Fight would be the setting for his farewell to the ring and all else that entails.
It was the 18thof the month, and Johil stepped up to the ring to face Alexandre Zoio, a Chute Boxe fighter supposedly great on his feet and clueless on the ground. Nothing of the sort. And Johil ended up leaving the affair injured, with a nasty spinal injury (C-4), according to the doctor who attended him.
“They thought the guy was a Chute Boxe striker with a rookie’s ground game. Major hoodwink, the guy was a Ryan Gracie student, a tough Jiu-Jitsu brown belt,” Professor Celsinho Venícius whispered to the reporter.
That fight and others television viewers in Brazil will be able to watch starting midnight on Sportv channel.
“It’s the maiden broadcast of Jungle Fight on Sportv. Only the UFC and Jungle are so privileged. That’s recognition for the work we’re doing. After airing live on ESPN Deportes in the USA, now we’re on Sportv. There’s a lot more to come. We’re going to make history in the sport,” said a jubilant Wallid Ismail, the event’s promoter.
The Brazilian took the opportunity to announce three fights on the card for the next Jungle Fight by Ortobom event, on October 30 in the city of Belém, Brazil. In the under-77 kg (welterweight) GP, Gil de Freitas faces Erick Silva (Minotauro Team), while at the other end of the bracket Mexico’s Francisco Ayon (Combate Libre) faces Argentina’s Fernando Martinez.
Another matchup announced is between Ildemar Marajó Alcantara against Jacko Quintana, an Argentine. Ildemar is the brother of Yuri Marajó, who won his fight at the last Jungle Fight event.
“The card is practically done, and during the coming week I’ll announce further additions. I want striking in this show. For example, Crocotá can lose ten times in our event: if he fights the way he has been, the doors will always be open to him. Edu Pamplona goes without saying, if he doesn’t get called on to fight abroad, there’ll always be a place for him at Jungle Fight,” says Wallid in praise, recalling the stars of the best fight of the last Jungle event. “I owe the success of the last event to Walter Feldman and Thiago Lobo, who have a great deal to do with the growth of MMA in São Paulo. And Jungle Fight will be back in São Paulo on November 20, at the Virada Esportiva arena,” he says in conclusion.