Teams chosen, plus the season’s first fight
“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” was back Sunday night with a broadcast streamed on TUF.tv – the season’s second episode. HeavyMMA has a complete episode recap here, including the team announcements for the featherweight and middleweight fighters under coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, plus the first fight of the season.
Episode 2 Recap
We start out at the TUF Brazil house, which looks like it puts the TUF USA house to shame – and the TUF USA house is pretty nice. The fighters talk about how happy they are to be on the show and marvel at the house. And it looks like Anistavio Medeiros – “Gasparzinho,” or “Gaspar” – is the first to start to get on the other fighters’ nerves as the “entertainer” of the house. The fighters are taken to the TUF Brazil training center, which like the TUF house looks to be even fancier than its U.S. counterpart.
It’s time to choose teams for coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. But first, Dana White announces that fighters this season are going to get $45,000 Brazilian Real for best knockout, submission and fight (that’s about $25,000 US). Silva wins the coin toss, and chooses to pick the first fighter – and Belfort believes that works to his advantage as a matchmaker. With 16 total fights – eight featherweights and eight middleweights – each coach will need to pick four fighters in each weight class. What that amounts to is for a fighter to reach the TUF Brazil finals in his division, he’ll only need to win two fights in the house.
Team Wanderlei
FW: Rony Mariano Bezerra (Jason)
MW: Delson Heleno (Pe de Chumbo)
FW: John Teixeira (Macapa)
MW: Francisco Drinaldo (Massaranduba)
FW: Marcos Vinicius Pancini (Vina)
MW: Renee Forte
FW: Wagner Campos (Galeto)
MW: Leonardo Mafra Teixeira (Macarrao)
Team Vitor
MW: Cezar Ferreira (Mutante)
FW: Hugo Viana (Wolverine)
MW: Daniel Sarafian
FW: Rodrigo Damm
MW: Thiago Rela (Bodao)
FW: Godofredo de Oliveira (Pepey)
MW: Sergio Moraes (Serginho)
FW: Anistavio Medeiros (Gasparzinho)
Gaspar is pretty peeved at being the last pick – and tells Belfort as much. Belfort tells him to relax – that he wanted all the guys on his team. And back at the house, Gaspar says people are messing with his stuff. Then he complains that the house is too fancy – he doesn’t like fancy things, he says. Oh boy.
We head to the training center and get to see Silva shaving his arms … not something you get to see every day, I suppose. Fabricio Werdum is in the house to help Silva’s team, as is Rafael Cordeiro, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Andre Dida. At a Team Vitor training session, we meet his coaches – Luis Dorea (Anderson Silva’s boxing coach), Francisco Filho, Rodrigo Artilheiro and Gilbert Durinho.
It’s time to pick the first fight of the season. Belfort gets to pick since Silva chose the first fighter. It’ll be Wagner Campos – “Galeto” – from Team Wanderlei against Godofredo de Oliveira – “Pepey” – from Team Vitor. Belfort says Galeto is perceived as the weakest fighter by his coaches thanks to his fight to get into the house.
We get some clips of training sessions for each team, and confessionals with this week’s fighters, who talk about their journeys to TUF. Then it’s time to hit the scales. Both fighters are on weight for the featherweight matchup. And Ford Motor Company has a commercial of sorts, read by the coaches. The TUF finalist this year who has the fastest total time of his two fights is going to win a new Ford Ranger truck. UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo shows up to meet the fighters. And he says he believes the UFC created TUF Brazil with featherweights to find the man who will one day take his place as champion.
Wagner “Gelato” Campos (11-3) vs. Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira (8-0)
Round 1: Brittney Palmer tells us it’s the first round, and we’re underway with Mario Yamasaki as the third man in the cage. Both fighters look for their first opportunity, and Pepey shoots for a takedown 30 seconds in. Galeto sprawls and stuffs it, though. Not much on the ground, and we go back to the feet. Again Pepey shoots 30 seconds later, and again Galeto stops it. High kick from Pepey is blocked. He stays on the outside with Galeto looking to attack from the center. They clinch and trade inconsequential knees, before Pepey moves in and jumps guard. On his back, he tries to work out of guard looking for an armbar, then tries to pull Galeto’s head dodwn to work for a triangle. Galeto gets a few body shots in on the ground, but then escapes the guard and gets back to standing. Pepey staying a little more aggressive and lands some good strikes. Yamasaki urges them to work, and Pepey again gets inside and lands a couple shots, then an outside leg kick. Galeto pushes forward, but whiffs at a couple strikes. Then Pepey catches him with a right and Galeto goes down. Pepey moves in and works some good ground and pound while Galeto tries for a heel hook. Pepey jumps guard again with 15 seconds left in the round and lands a couple good shots from his back. It’s not dominant by any stretch, but Pepey gets the first round, 10-9, on the Heavy card.
Round 2: More Brittney for the start of Round 2. Good counter from Galeto. Pepey misses a high kick, then fakes a front kick. He whiffs with a right. Then starts flailing his arms wildly and comes inside with a couple good shots. But Galeto counters to the body. Pepey throws an inside leg kick, but it’s way too inside. Right in the mommy-daddy parts. Galeto gets some time. On the restart, Pepey stays with the inside leg kick, then lands a knee. He misses with a right. A high kick is blocked by Galeto. Galeto clinches up, and Pepey apparently lands another low blow with his knee. Yamasaki tells him he’ll lose a point next time. Galeto pleads with him, “That’s twice, referee.” They start back up, and Pepy comes dangerously close to another low knee. He throws another head kick that isn’t quite on the money. Good flurry from Pepey. Body shot from Galeto with 30 seconds left. Inside leg kick from Pepey, then a final flurry from Galeto that sees him land a couple nice shots. But it’s probably not going to be enough. Heavy has the second for Pepey, 10-9.
Result: Pepey def. Gelato, decision
Aldo says Gelato defended well at the start, but should have attacked more. Belfort says both fighters were emotional – and that’s not good. Silva believes Gelato won the second round – and that Pepy should’ve lost a point after the second one. Belfort tells his team to remain respectful in the house with the opposition because the more respect you show your opponent, the more power you have over him.