FLB: The Best Brazil has to Offer

[DAVEFAN95]

After reading a few WMMA diaries on the forum and it has inspired me to start my own diary. I decided I'd use my favourite default promotion, Fight League Brazil and see what I can achieve. This diary will be analytically focused instead of fights, so there will a lot of my opinion put in posts for upcoming events and the like. Expect the roster to be up soon (Each Weight Class will show the rankings, and some analysis on the division).

 

I'm not going to write much more here I will get on to the Roster right away

[DAVEFAN95]

Heavyweight Rankings

 

Name | Record | Record in FLB | Name Value | Momentum

 

Murilo Satinho © 10-0 | 5-0 | HLR | +4

Elzo Alves Moura 12-2 | 2-2 | MLR | -1

Felipe Ruiz Rosa 13-8 | 1-0 | MLR | -1

Sergio do Vale 9-3 | 4-2 | LLR | +2

Kerlon Guerra de Bastos 8-2 | 4-2 | MLR | 0

Josimar Matins 16-7 | 1-4 | LLR | -2

Julio Correa 9-1 | 0-1 | LLR | +1

Marcelo Boccoli 13-6 | 2-2 | LLR | 0

Renato 6-0 | 4-0 | LLR | +3

Raimundo Pinheiro 7-4 | 1-2 | LLR | -1

Vitor de Melo 6-1 | 2-1 | LLR | 0

Rodolfo Camara 5-1 | 2-1 | LLR | +1

Tiago de Paixao 10-6 | 2-2 | LLR | 0

 

Analysis

 

With Gladstone Lopes in GAMMA now the division is anchored by the champ, Murilo Satinho (10-0). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's anyone in the division ready to challenge him. The rankings suggest Elzo Alves Moura (12-2) but he has already lost to him twice. I'm thinking maybe Sergio do Vale (9-3) as his next challenge based sorely on that positive momentum, but he lost to a title shot against Moura before. Kerlon Guerra de Bastos (8-2) could be another option we'll have to see.

 

I do like the prospects in this division, Renato (6-0) is the obvious one, but Julio Correa (9-1), Vitor de Melo (6-1) and Rodolfo Camara (5-1) could get somewhere if built correctly.

 

I do see the division to be somewhat weak though, with the lack of name talent. Luckily, due to FLB's current size, any match with a MLR fighter or higher in will be regarded as a main event.

 

I do go look at some free agents though and Giovanni de Matos (5-0) catches my eye as another product so I offer him a deal, while I throw a contract Hellon Nascimento (19-9) aswell to round out the roster.

[DAVEFAN95]

Light Heavyweight Rankings

 

Name | Record | Record in FLB | Name Value | Momentum

 

Roberto Aldez © 46-11 | 5-1 | LLN | +5

Affonso Villar 25-3 | 7-1 | LLN | +2

Elgar 28-7 | 5-1 | LLN | +3

Pedro Sousa 21-4 | 4-2 | HLR | 0

Carlos Dos Santos 14-5 | 2-3 | MLR | 0

Leandro Piquet 20-9 | 1-4 | HLR | -2

Nilton Fantoni 8-0 | 1-0 | LLR | +3

Marcos Maciel 7-0 | 1-0 | LLR | +2

Arthur Franco 12-7 | 3-4 | MLR | -2

Denilson da Cunha 11-5 | 2-4 | LLR | -1

Magno Peres Arruda 9-4 | 1-2 | MLR | -1

Rubenilson Augusto 7-3 | 2-2 | LLR | -1

Oscarino Baptista 20-12 | 1-3 | LLR | -3

Gustavo Spagnol 5-1 | 2-1 | LLR | +1

Arkan Gleiser 7-5 | 2-2 | LLR | -2

Kleber Perreira 7-5 | 2-2 | LLR | -2

 

 

Analysis

 

This division is stacked and is one of my best divisions in terms of talent and name value. Roberto Aldez (46-11) is the newly crowned champion with a rematch with Affonso Villar (25-3) and a new challenger in Elgar (28-7) being strong candidates to be his next opponent. You can't forget Pedro Sousa (21-4) though, who could also be a challenger for the title soon.

 

There are two clear prospects in this division with Nilton Fantoni (8-0) and Marcos Maciel (7-0) are both unbeaten. Further down the rankings, you have Gustavo Spagnol (5-1) who I will be looking to give a big test to to see if he can handle it.

 

The rest of the division is filled with can-esque fighters and some decent "midcarders".

 

Despite the bulk in this division, I decide to take a peek in the free agents pool and find Flavio Alberto(5-1), Silvio Leite (7-0) and Ranieri Fernanda (7-2) worthy of a contract.

[DAVEFAN95]

Middleweight Rankings

 

Name | Record | Record in FLB | Name Value | Momentum

 

Joaquim Fontes© 25-3 | 5-1 | HLR | +4

Thais Antonio Taffarel 19-3 | 4-1 | HLR | +1

Zaco 45-15 | 3-2 | LLN | +1

Mario de Souza 24-8 | 4-1 | HLR | +2

Leonardo da Costa 15-6 | 3-0 | HLR | +2

Jorge Hamazabal 22-10 | 4-1 | MLR | +1

Eriverton Laurentino 10-2 | 4-1 | MLR | +1

Marinho Gomes 8-2 | 4-1 | LLR | +1

Marco de Almeida 28-14 | 3-2 | MLR | +1

Vagner 14-7 | 2-4 | MLR | -1

Vivinho 7-3 | 3-2 | LLR | -1

Ademir Coelho 9-4 | 3-1 | LLR | +1

Gilberto Sabbatini 13-7 | 1-3 | MLR | -1

Ramon da Silva Ramos 5-0 | 2- | LLR | 0

 

 

 

Analysis

 

Another solid division for FLB, even with former champion Braulio Moura leaving for GAMMA. The champ Joaquim Fontes (25-3) has a rake of potential challengers, such as Thais Antonio Taffarel (19-3), Zaco (45-15), Mario de Souza (24-8) and Leonardo da Costa (15-6) to name just a few. So expect a few title eliminators early on.

 

There's no real bunch of prospects, just the one in Ramon da Silva Ramos (5-0), as I feel the rest has established themselves already. Marinho Gomes (8-2) is another guy who I could build.

 

With the amount of momentum in this division, I decided that getting one more prospect to work with makes sense. I decide Leandro Bastos (6-0) is the best of the unemployed bunch and I offer him a contract.

[DAVEFAN95]

Welterweight Rankings

 

Name | Record | Record in FLB | Name Value | Momentum

 

Manuel Silva © 17-0 | 6-0 | LLN | +5

Claudio Palacios 24-7 | 3-2 | HLR | +1

Charles Stiles 16-3 | 4-2 | MLR | +1

Lucas 26-8 | 4-1 | MLR | 0

Procopio Golias 15-6 | 4-1 | MLR | +1

Teco 15-6 | 1-3 | MLR | -2

Orlando de Carvalho 7-1 | 2-0 | LLR | +2

Ruy Mendes de Rocha 11-4 | 3-1 | LLR | +1

Hamilton Fonseca Junior 5-2 | 2-1 | LLR | -1

Domingo de Vivanco 5-1 | 2-1 | LLR | 0

Fabio Santoro 1-0 | 1-0 | LLR | +1

 

 

Analysis

A decent division that lacks numbers, Manuel Silva (17-0) is the WW king right now and I can't see anybody who will be able to take it off him.

 

Claudio Palacios (24-7) and Charles Stiles (16-3) have both challenged Silva unsuccessfully. Procopio Golias (15-6) maybe next in line.

 

Fabio Santoro (1-0) intrigues me, he beat Golias, which is his only loss in FLB. If I can build him up well, maybe he could be Silva's Kryptonite

 

With the lack of numbers at this division, I had no choice but to make a few signings. Mozart Pinto (4-1), Thomasz de Miranda (9-2), Tristao Bosi (5-2) and Valdo Calamari (6-0) were all offered contracts to give this division more bulk, I feel these guys are solid pick ups and long term fighters for this company.

[DAVEFAN95]

Lightweight Rankings

 

Name | Record | Record in FLB | Name Value | Momentum

 

Helio © 18-1 | 6-0 | HLR | +4

Branco 17-7 | 4-2 | MLR | -1

Caca de Andrade 19-5 | 3-2 | MLR | 0

Edson Edmilson 24-12 | 3-3 | HLR | +1

Paulo Roberto Bazerra 12-6 | 4-1 | MLR | +1

Delma de Brito 18-9 | 1-3 | LLR | -2

Adenor Togni 13-6 | 1-3 | LLR | -1

Anderson Desailly 7-1 | 4-1 | MLR | +1

Manoel Cabral 6-0 | 0-0 | LLR | +2

Chico Feijo 8-3 | 4-2 | LLR | -1

Cesar Granda 6-1 | 2-0 | LLR | +1

Tarcisio Dantas 6-0 | 0-0 | LLR | +2

Grande Silveira 5-2 | 2-2 | LLR | -1

 

 

Analysis

 

A division that could use a few more household names, but there is a few young prospects that I can build up. Helio (18-1) is the champ and by the far the most talented. Branco (17-7) has lost twice to the champ so he's out of the running. We'have to see who impresses me enough to get a title shot.

 

As I've said the prospects in this division are good, Manoel Cabral (6-0) and Tarcisio Dantas (6-0) are yet to debut in FLB and are looking like solid stars for the future. Anderson Desailly (7-1) also has potential but needs to bounce back from loss to Helio.

 

The free agents pool had a few good signings. Drauzio Simaan (7-3), Goncalves Cassaro (5-0), Guilherme de Barros (6-0) and Lazaro Campos (6-0) all get offered deals.

[DAVEFAN95]

January News

 

GAMMA and ALPHA start their initial raids. Yet they decide to go with the many talented fighters on their respective indy scenes. However, they do raid other companies like BCF. FLB seems relatively safe, until both ALPHA and GAMMA bid for LHW veteran Elgar (28-7). I decide against bidding as I feel paying Elgar 10k a fight isn't worth it as FLB usually can't cover their cards early on. He signs for ALPHA.

 

ALPHA also bid for Felipe Ruiz Rosa (13-8) and Renato (6-0). I do negotiate with both of these guys and do keep them.

 

We also secure all of the signatures of the men I offered contracts to.

 

In terms of shows, FLB, BCF and GAMMA were the only companies to hold shows in January. BCF had Stafford Alois KO Vic Millican in 3 rounds, while George Laurent also scored a KO victory over Lenny McFadden. While in GAMMA Marlon John beat Laurence Herringbone by split decision to become the new GAMMA LHW champ. Raul Hughes also got a win with a Submission (strikes) finish over Duke Aiona.

 

FLB's event will be announced in the next post.

[DAVEFAN95]

FLB: Zaco v da Costa

Sunday, Week 4, 2001, Brazil. Broadcasted by SportsTube.

 

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Zaco (45-15) v Leonardo da Costa (15-6)

 

A solid first main event and a great way to find out where da Costa fits in the division. Zaco is a well rounded fighter with a Greco-Roman wrestling background, so I expect a nice clinch game from him. He'll have to be careful though as da Costa is a very good at submissions so could catch Zaco off his back. Zaco is smart though and will probably keep the fight standing. A win here for either man keeps them in the title picture, the loser will be placed back in the midcard.

 

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: Nilton Fantoni (8-0) v Leandro Piquet (20-9)

 

A nice way to get Fantoni on the main card and against a former challenger for the belt. Fantoni faces a striker in veteran Leandro Piquet. Piquet can be dangerous standing up, so Fantoni will want to take this to the ground early and finish. If Piquet loses, I don't think he'll lose his job, I'll probably put him in a match against a new guy and see how he gets on. If Fantoni loses, that effectively puts him out of the title hunt for a while.

 

Heavyweight Bout: Julio Correa (9-1) v Kerlon Guerra de Barros (8-2)

 

This match is going to be a fun one, both men are out and out strikers and it's essentially who can get the KO first. However, both guys can take a punch so I expect this to be a three round war. The winner of this places himself firmly in the title picture.

 

Welterweight Bout: Teco (15-6) v Hamilton Fonseca Junior (5-2)

 

Another battle of strikers, although both guys have negative momentum, I thought putting one more striking battle on the main card would help the critical rating. Both guys are solid strikers and I expect either a KO or a three round striking affair. Either way, a win here for either men helps them move closer to the title picture, although they will still be a few wins away after the match.

 

Lightweight Bout: Delma de Brito (18-9) v Chico Feijo (8-3)

 

A grappler v striker affair here with whoever dictating the pace will more than likely come out with the win. de Brito is awful on the ground so I don't expect Feijo to waste much time in taking him down but he might. A win here will secure their job, the other will be put in high alert.

 

Prelims

Light Heavyweight Bout: Carlos Dos Santos (14-5) v Gustavo Spagnol (5-1)

 

A fight that I expect there to be fireworks, Dos Santos has the versatility and experience edge over Spagnol but I do feel Spagnol is slightly better on the ground. This is a big test for Spagnol and will really test him in seeing where he stands in the division. Being on the prelim protects Spagnol, this way if Dos Santos KO's Spagnol with ease, it might protect him a little more then if he was on the main card.

 

Welterweight Bout: Ruy Mendes de Rocha (11-4) v Domingo de Vivanco (5-1)

 

The young up and comer de Vivanco takes on de Rocha. de Vivanco is a solid striker and de Rocha will want to keep him grounded if he stands a chance. This fight looks decently poised and I can only see de Vivanco smothering de Rocha with strikes throughout the fight. A win here will cement either man place on the roster for a while.

 

Lightweight Bout: Paulo Roberto Bezerra (12-6) v Adenor Togni (13-6)

 

Bezzera's Muay Thai versus Togni's BJJ, Togni's all round game is probably better than Bezerras but Bezerra has power in his kicks and in the clinch. I expect Togni to takedown Bezerra and try to submit him, but if Togni decides to stand with Bezerra, he could be caught off guard. A win here for Bezerra will put him within distance of title fight, a win for Togni gets him back on track after some negative momentum as of late.

 

Middleweight Bout: Vagner (14-7) v Ramon da Silva Ramos (5-0)

 

Another striking match up, Ramos and Vagner both are kickboxers and while Ramos looks better on first look, I don't know enough about his skills to see where they really lie. Vagner's are middle of the road hence he is at the bottom of the rankings. A win here gets Ramos a nice win and moves him up, while a win for Vagner gets him away from negative momentum.

 

Heavyweight Bout: Josimar Martins (16-7) v Marcelo Boccoli (13-6)

 

The first match of the night is between two striker, with Martins high enough on the HW rankings, a win here could put him back in contention for a title shot, while Boccoli winning gets him a nice win over a guy who is higher in the rankings.

 

Quick Picks

Zaco v da Costa

Fantoni v Piquet

Correa v de Barros

Teco v Fonsexa Junior

de Brito v Feijo

 

Dos Santos v Spagnol

de Rocha v de Vivanco

Bezerra v Togni

Vagner v Ramos

Martins v Boccoli

[MasterSkuxly]

I'm very interested to see this new diary, keep up the good work

[Kingster]

I'm following, too. Just wondering, why no title fight on the first card?

 

Quick Picks

Zaco v da Costa

Fantoni v Piquet

Correa v de Bastos

Teco v Fonseca Junior

de Brito v Feijo

 

Dos Santos v Spagnol

da Rocha v de Vivanco

Bezerra v Togni

Vagner v Ramos

Martins v Boccoli

[DAVEFAN95]

FLB: Zaco v da Costa

Sunday, Week 4, 2001, Brazil. Broadcasted by SportsTube.

 

Prelims

 

Heavyweight Bout: Josimar Martins (16-7) v Marcelo Boccoli (13-6)

 

This fight was the very definition of one sided, it took only 3 punches in all for somebody to be knocked down. A jab power combo counter by Martins dropped Boccoli and 14 power ground striker later, Boccoli went limp. Impressive win for Martins and exciting start to the night.

 

Result: Josimar Martins (17-7) defeated Mercelo Boccoli (13-7) by KO (Punch) in 2:01 of round 1. (Great)

 

Middleweight Bout: Vagner (14-7) v Ramon da Silva Ramos (5-0)

 

I really impressed by Ramos' striking in this fight, he mixed it up well hitting Vagner's head, body and legs in swift combinations. He dropped Vagner numerous times but never seemed to be able to finish until the third round when after he dropped Vagner via head kick, he swarmed on him and finished the job with a vicious punch on the ground, very impressed with the young kickboxer.

 

Result: Ramon da Silva Ramos (6-0) defeated Vagner (14-8) by KO (Punch) in 1:19 of round 3. (Great)

 

Lightweight Bout: Paulo Roberto Bezerra (12-6) v Adenor Togni (13-6)

 

A nice striking battle for most of this fight, with Togni using defensive counter strikes to probably win the first round. Although, Bezerra was more aggressive, Togni landed more punches. That changes in the second round as Bezerra turned it on, destroying Togni with numerous punches and a nice head kick to boot. Unfortunately in the third, Bezerra's engine had run out and resorted to the clinch about a minute and a half into the round. This favoured Togni as he put his dirty boxing to work before a trip takedown at the end of the round.

 

J1: 29-28 Bezerra

J2: 29-28 Togni

J3: 29-28 Togni

 

Result: Adenor Togni (14-6) defeated Paulo Roberto Bezerra (12-7) by Split Decision (29-28 X2, 28-29) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Welterweight Bout: Ruy Mendes de Rocha (11-4) v Domingo de Vivanco (5-1)

 

de Vivanvo dominated in this fight, getting far more punches on the feet and on the ground. da Rocha really failed to get going and struggled to pass and sweep de Vivanco on the ground which impressed me. The pure volume of de Vivanco's strikes won him this fight but he really should have put da Rocha away on several occasions.

 

Result: Domingo de Vivanco (6-1) defeated Ruy Mendes da Rocha (11-5) by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X2, 29-28) in 5:00 of round 3. (Decent)

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Carlos Dos Santos (14-5) v Gustavo Spagnol (5-1)[/b]

 

Gustavo was the clear underdog here but I think he held his own only being outstriked by Dos Santos 12-9 on the feet which included a big punch to CDS. Spagnol also got a nice take and passed CDS' 3 times, unfortunately he didn't do enough on the ground to really trouble CDS otherwise. In the second, CDS took it up a level and took Spagnol down, passed him and wailed down on him with big bombs from the top, and the referee stepped in to end the fight.

 

Result: Carlos Dos Santos (15-5) defeated Gustavo Spagnol (11-5) by TKO (Strikes) in 4:22 of round 2. (Great)

 

Main Show

 

Lightweight Bout: Delma de Brito (18-9) v Chico Feijo (8-3)

 

Feijo wasted no time in this fight, he took down de Brito, passed his guard and locked in a really nice kimura after 2 minutes. Nice display by Feijo.

 

Result: Chico Feijo (9-3) defeated Delma de Brito (18-10) by Submission (Kimura) in 2:01 of round 1. (Great)

 

Welterweight Bout: Teco (15-6) v Hamilton Fonseca Junior (5-2)

 

Teco and Fonseca Junior kept it standing for the whole fight and Fonseca Junior was far more impressive. Landing as much kicks as Teco did strikes. Fonseca Junior also had four power punches but obviously not powerful enough to put Teco away. However, still a solid display by the 26 year old.

 

Result: Hamilton Fonseca Junior (6-2) defeated Teco (15-7) by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X3) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Heavyweight Bout: Julio Correa (9-1) v Kerlon Guerra de Barros (8-2)

 

Remember in the preview I said this would be a three round war, I was right. Both men came in with no other intention but to punch the head of of each other and it was a thoroughly entertaining bout. Correa and Barros were really even in the amount of jabs they landed but the difference was power punches landed and that when to Correa as he hit 8 to Barros 1. It looked like it was going to the judges going into round 3 but Correa decided that he'd prefer a KO on his resume and KO'd Barros with a nice right hand.

 

Result: Julio Correa (10-1) defeated Kerlon Guerra de Barros (15-7) by KO (Punch) in 1:15 of round 3. (Fantastic)

 

Co-Main Event

Light Heavyweight Bout: Nilton Fantoni (8-0) v Leandro Piquet (20-9)

 

Fantoni and Piquet did a little bit of everthing in this fight, surprising Fantoni outstriked Piquet on the feet which I really thought was a bad idea but he did really well setting up his takedowns with his strikes. He didn't do much on the ground unfortunately as Piquet sent back a submission attempt but Fantoni passed his guard pretty successfully. Piquet wasn't completely outclassed though and did probably win a round.

 

J1: 29-28 Piquet

J2: 29-28 Fantoni

J3: 28-28 Fantoni

 

Result: Nilton Fantoni (9-0) defeated Leandro Piquet (20-10) by Split Decision (29-28 X2, 28-29) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Main Event

Middleweight Bout: Zaco (45-15) v Leonardo da Costa (15-6)

 

Leonardo da Costa proved he's not ready for prime time. Zaco dominiated him from start to finish and I'd be surprised if there was a few 10-8's thrown in on the judges scorecards. da Costa got no success on the ground, getting no sweeps or passes as well as failing 7 submissions. Zaco did a good job in both standing and grappling as he hit over 40 strikes standing and 92 strikes on the ground. He didn't even try to pass or sweep, he was content on just striking da Costa on the floor. Zaco fought the smart fight and showed he can throw back submission attempts with ease. That could come in handy against the champ, Joaquim Fontes who is also a BJJ fighter.

 

Result: Zaco (46-15) defeated Leonardo da Costa (15-7) by Unanimous Decision (50-44, 49-44, 50-43) in 5:00 of round 5. (Average)

 

Analysis:

 

Attendance: 518

Gate: $37,607

Prize: $250

FOTN: Correa & Barros

KOTN: Correa

SOTN: Feijo

 

We grow in size after this event to Mid Level Regional, maybe now I can get TV and PPV instead of SportTube. We grow everywhere by 2.5% except South America where we grew by 2.0%.

 

Zaco really showed da Costa the ropes and put himself in contention for a title shot. Maybe Zaco is next in line but I think Fontes will probably have a fight beore Zaco. da Costa really disappointed me. He failed in his strongest aspect, the ground game, you don't get any more dominated in that. He'll get a drop in his opposition next, still probably on the main card though,

 

Fantoni's victory wasn't as dominant as I expected but a win is a win and Piquet definitely had his moments. Fantoni probably doesn't get that much of a boost from this win, but Piquet shows that he could be a solid gatekeeper for me in the futere so in a way, this helped Piquet more than it helped Fantoni.

 

Correa and Barros prove to me they have the ability to put on top quality match ups and both these guys will be key in the division. Correa is still a win or two away from the title so maybe a set up fight with a top level opponent might be the way to go. Barros needs a bounce back fight and I have no problem giving it to him, but I'm not sure who I'd put against him.

 

Fonseca Junior proved his ability against Teco but I wouldn't mind putting him up against a grappler next to see how he copes with that. Teco looks like a poor talent from this showing so I'll see what I can do. It will definitely be on the prelims though.

 

Feijo showed the world what he's made of in a quick easy victory over the experienced de Brito. Feijo might just get a top level opponents next, or maybe a gatekeeper fight to see if he's truly got what it takes. If I could find a striker with some takedown defense that would be a solid challenge for Feijo. de Brito is on his last legs in FLB right now, and if he loses his next fight. He's being cut.

 

On the prelims, Togni and Martins got good wins to make themselves relevant again, while de Vivanco and Ramos prove they are far better than the bottom of their respective divisisions. Carlos Dos Santos did what I expect, and he'll move on to a bigger opponent next time out and probably on the main card. Spagnol will get a bounce back fight to get him back on track.

 

Predictions

Kingster 9/10 (90%)

 

And to answer your question Kingster, I'm not one of those guys to just throw on a title fight at the start of the game just for the sake of it. I want to establish where my fighters stand first and in all honesty, with Elgar gone to ALPHA, there is only one division where I felt a title fight off the bat made sense and that was at MW (however, I wanted to see da Costa in a fight first before booking that). That will be on the line at the next show but more on that later. Furthermore, I expect to lose some of my champs to ALPHA and GAMMA (Aldez, Silva, Helio will all get offered contracts. Villar will also probably be gone too). And if they do go I will make a title match between the top two contenders, but only then will I throw together a title fight without any significant build. I want to build guys up for title shots, and that's the way I play.

[DAVEFAN95]

February News:

 

I was right as Roberto Aldez is offered a contract by GAMMA, I try to bid but he doesn't seem like he wants to accept my offer so I let him go. The LHW strap is now vacant and I will look to put that belt on the line soon.

 

We re-sign Feijo, Martins, da Rocha, de Brito, de Vivanco, Teco and Spagnol to new deals.

 

I also bring in "King Awesome" Cristobel Perreira at Heavyweight and Gabriel Gusmao at Light Heavyweight. Perreira is a BJJ black belt but has trained in other areas and looks like a solid signing for our HW division. Gusmao is also a BBJ black belt and looks like a solid all round talent also.

 

WEFF, GAMMA and ALPHA have shows on in February. WEFF 21 presented Sarah Vaughan beating Pamela O'Neill by unanimous decision to retain her BW title. The co-main event saw Alyson Arroway beat Haley Croft by Unanimous decision also. GAMMA 41 saw Nathan Chambers beat Jack Humphreys by split decision in a very poor bout, Stuart Strange beat Sutton Ripley over three round by unanimous decision in the Co-main event. ALPHA put on their first ever Warriors of the Ring which saw Carlos Da Guia defend his new MW title for the first time against Mal Phe Roby stopping him by TKO in the first round. While former ALPHA LHW champ Tadamasa Yamada lost by unanimous decision to Sho Kitabatake

 

I announce FLB: Fontes v Taffarel for the MW title in April and FLB: Villar v Sousa II for the LHW title in May, which will be broadcasted via PPV after we secured a deal with Vista. I also get a TV deal with Televisao Esporte and vreate a new TV show called FLB Fight League.

 

March News

 

More bad news as Manual Silva is off to Japan with ALPHA. I tried and failed, but I'm not willing to offer these guy huge contracts just yet, maybe after the next show.

 

XCC, BCF, SIGMA and GAMMA have shows this month. Willy Basset became the new BW champ in XCC, while Lamont Banner got a 32 second KO win over Sammy Gaffigan. BCF has Davis Spyrou lose his MW title by KO to SIGMA regular Fernando Amaro while Daniel Hornsby beat Gary McSweegan over three rounds. Kenneth Toadspew successfully defended his WW crown over Templeton Crumb. Georges Nouri also beat Luis Basora by Armbar. GAMMA has Davey Rushton beat Joe Snettisham by TKO to reatain his SHW title aswell as Bradon Sugar reataining his LW title against Sean Morrison by submission.

 

I create a Featherweight division and sign Norberto, Newton Reis, Erico Gil, Helvecio Babenco, Azor Portela Nunes, Rafael Tavares and Juan Pablo Rique to fight in it. The FW scene in South America is bare, but I still feel I can have a strong division.

 

April News

 

GAMMA try to come in and steal Helio but there is no way I'm letting him go. I end up paying 7,000 for him in all honesty he should be making that anyway.

 

I also get Cesar Granda and Rodolfo Camara to re-sign.

 

KDM FC, XCC, ALPHA and WEFF all had shows this month Sophan Sastrowardoya retained his KDM FC BW title by submitting Pipob Jakkuprasat with a kimura. Tan Su also got a TKO victory over Cong Dun. XCC's FW title changed hands as Philip Ziskie beat Luis Machado by Split Decision. Jamie Hewitt also beat Jackson Gray. Terron Cabal continued his dominance over the ALPHA HW division as he KO'd Kunimichi Kikuchi. Syed Tan also beat Kafu Bunya. WEFF saw Jeanee Vidal submit Noel Lachance and Sandy Oliver submit Nina Belle.

 

Pretty quiet month in April. I also missed a KDM FC event in February where Veronika Sablikova finished Kit Sakamoto in the first round to keep her Womens title. Li-Kong Ho also beat Yoshiro Makamori on the card.

 

FLB's next show preview will be posted next.

[DAVEFAN95]

FLB: Fontes v Taffarel

Sunday, Week 4, April, 2001, Brazil. Broadcasted by Vista.

 

Main Event

Middleweight Title Bout: Joaquim Fontes (25-3) v Thais Antonio Taffarel (19-3)

 

I had bigger plan for the MW division and da Costa was going to face Taffarel if he won, but now that that didn't happen, here's plan b, as MW champ Joaquim Fontes faces Thais Antonio Taffarel. Fontes probably has the best BJJ in the company while Taffarel has dangerous Muay Thai but also has solid takedown defence which could cause the champ some problems. Taffarel also has some great submission defence so this is an intriguing match up. Winner has Zaco waiting in the wings, loser has to regroup.

 

Co-Main Event

Welterweight Bout: Charles Stiles (24-7) v Porcorpio Golias (15-6)

 

A WW bout that I could have change to a title bout as Silva left but decided against it. Stiles is another great BJJ artist while Golias is a wrestler. That style plays right into Stiles' hands as he can submit him form his back. Golias is far bigger that Stiles though and if Golias can smother him with his size and keep Stiles away from any potential holds, Golias could sneak one. The winner of this more than likely takes one slot in the vacant WW championship match.

 

Heavyweight Bout: Helton Nascimento (19-9) v Renato (6-0)

 

Nascimento is the first challenge for HW prospect Renato as the two will both be looking for a win. Nascimento is a solid striker but I don't think has the power or elusiveness to drop Renato. This is really a fight that favours the youngster as he's got the one this that Nascimento struggles with, the ground game. I expect a dominant performance from the youngster. A win here for either men puts them in the top of the midcard.

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Arthur Franco (12-7) v Marcos Maciel (7-0)

 

Franco's wrestling against Maciel's Kickboxing, Franco is a solid wrestler with great consistency so don't expect Franco to have an off night, but Maciel has the striking to hurt Franco. And although, Franco stand up is decent, his chin is poor and one big strike from Maciel could end it all. A win here for either men establishes themselves and step up in talent.

 

Lightweight Bout: Anderson Desailly (7-1) v Edson Edmilson (24-12)

 

How good is Desailly? So lets test him against a veteran who can truly test him. Edson Edmilson isn't an elite performer but is a solid competitor and will test Desailly's takedown defence and submission defence, both of which I find is lacking in his game. However, Desailly has the striking power to drop Edmilson before it ever comes to that. Should be a good show. A win for Edmilson probably puts him in the picture for a title shot, while a win for Desailly means he'll probably face another guy high on the rankings.

 

Prelims

 

Heavyweight Bout: Tiago da Paixao (10-6) v Giovanni de Matos (5-0)

 

A nice striking battle between two big HW's to lead us into the main show. GdM is one of my signings and is a big, powerful striker with impressive technique and elusiveness. While Paixao likes to slug it out throwing big bombs while using his great chin to absorb any big blows his opponent might land. Paixao also has pretty decent wrestling at his disposal, nothing spectacular, but he might use it, as he would have the clear advantage there. A win for either of this guys just solidifies there place on the roster.

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Arkhan Gleiser (7-5) v Flavio Alberto (5-1)

 

This match is essentially all about if Alberto is better than the very bottom of the division. I would say a lose for Gleiser gets him fired but really I can't afford to do that. FLB's options early on in this game are pretty abysmal. I expect an easy win for Alberto.

 

Middleweight Bout: Leandro Bastos (6-0) v Gilberto Sabbatini (13-7)

 

Identical to the Gleiser/Alberto match, this is just to see if Bastos can "hang" with the bottom of the division. I don't expect him to have much problems but we'll see.

 

Welterweight Bout: Fabio Santoro (1-0) v Orlando de Carvalho (7-1)

 

Okay, a match I can actually talk about. Santoro's inexperience is huge here as he faces another Muay Thai fighter Orlando de Carvalho. It should be a good striking battle but Santoro's skill is far better. However, as I've mentioned de Carvalho has a significant experience advantage even if it is only 7 fights, but still. A win for Santoro gives him a boost but I'm not looking to throw him into the deep end yet. While a win for Carvalho could move him a fight away from title contention.

 

Lightweight Title Bout: Cesar Granda (6-1) v Drauzio Simaan (7-3)

 

The extremely marketable Simaan gets his first FLB fight as he takes on Peruvian kickboxer Cesar Granda. This should be a good striking contest between the two as Granda has big power in his kicks while Simaan isn't exactly short of power either. I see Granda as the slight favourite here as his power and skill are far better than Simaan's but I don't know enough about Simaan to completely disregard him.

 

Quick Picks

Fontes v Taffarel

Stiles v Golias

Nascimento v Renato

Franco v Maciel

Desailly v Edmilson

 

da Paixao v de Matos

Gleiser v Alberto

Bastos v Sabbatini

Santoro v de Carvalho

Granda v Simaan

[DAVEFAN95]

FLB: Fontes v Taffarel

Sunday, Week 4, April, 2001, Brazil. Broadcasted by Vista.

 

Lightweight Title Bout: Cesar Granda (6-1) v Drauzio Simaan (7-3)

 

A really nice striking battle between these two, and a reasonable close contest. Granda has two significant strikes one which dropped Simaan, however, Granda couldn't finish. He did make some nice movement on the ground though, and even passed Simaan on the ground and got a few insignificant punches in. Simaan tried to stand toe to toe with Granda but couldn't land significant strikes often enough and only had one through a nice head kick. Although, the fight was significantly closer than I expected, all three rounds should go to Granda

 

Result: Cesar Granda (7-1) defeated Drauzio Simaan (7-4) by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 30-27) in 5:00 of round 3. (Great)

 

Welterweight Bout: Fabio Santoro (1-0) v Orlando de Carvalho (7-1)

 

Although highly favoured by the bookie, Orlando de Carvalho was dominated for three rounds. Only connecting 6 strikes in all, de Carvalho struggled against the striking prowess of Santoro. Santoro dropped de Carvalho also and although he swarmed on top of him he couldn't the finish. Santoro also did some solid work on the ground as well passing de Carvalho and then pounding 42 strikes from the top. Santoro was the clear winner here.

 

Result: Fabio Santoro (2-0) defeated Orlando de Carvalho (7-2) by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Middleweight Bout: Leandro Bastos (6-0) v Gilberto Sabbatini (13-7)

 

A rather even fight when it came to the stats, Sabbatini threw back 3 of Bastos' four takedown attempts and tried to keep it standing. However, neither guy really took control on the feet but Bastos has nice punch crunch into Sabbatini's jaw. However, in the second Bastos would submit Sabbatini after 5 powerful strikes from the top. Nasty ground and pound and the first debutant to finish his opponent.

 

Result: Leandro Bastos (7-0) defeated Gilberto Sabbatini (13-7) by Submission (Strikes) in 3:05 of round 2. (Great)

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Arkhan Gleiser (7-5) v Flavio Alberto (5-1)

 

Domination by Alberto in this fight, landing 25 significant strikes. A truly dominant display which saw Alberto drop Gleiser more than once. Alberto even tried to finish it on the ground with a submission but was unsuccessful. Alberto proved to me he is far better than the bottom of the barrel, job well done.

 

Result: Flavio Alberto (6-1) defeated Arkhan Gleiser (7-6) by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X2 30-26) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Heavyweight Bout: Tiago da Paixao (10-6) v Giovanni de Matos (5-0)

 

A striking battle between these two was a good battle but the result was never in doubt. The bout itself wasn't that exciting despite its striking emphasis, odd really. da Paixao out struck de Matos by a ratio of 2:1 scoring well over 100 strikes. An easy pick for the judges as Paixao gets a solid win over the newcomer.

 

Result: Tiago da Paixao (11-6) defeated Giovanni de Matos (5-1) by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X3) in 5:00 of round 3. (Good)

 

Main show

 

Lightweight Bout: Anderson Desailly (7-1) v Edson Edmilson (24-12)

 

Desailly showed what not to do against a BJJ figher in this one after some insignificant exchanges on the feet, Edmilson took him down, passed his guard, gave him some nasty ground and pound before Desailly gave Edmilson his back and a RNC later and Edmilson was victorious in a dominant display.

 

Result: Edson Edmilson (25-12) defeated Anderson Desailly (7-2) by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:16 of round 1. (Great)

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Arthur Franco (12-7) v Marcos Maciel (7-0)

 

Franco did himself proud through two rounds of this fight, outstriking Maciel by a ratio of 2:1. Although, Maciel denied him three takedown attempts you got to say Franco gave Maciel a real test, unfortunately, Maciel hit him with two devastating punches to KO Franco late in the second round which effectively threw away all his good work.

 

Result: Marcos Maciel (8-0) defeated Arthur Franco (12-8) by Knock Out (Punch) in 4:08 of round 2. (Good)

 

Heavyweight Bout: Helton Nascimento (19-9) v Renato (6-0)

 

Renato took a leaf out of Edmilson's book as he took Nascimento to the ground, lit him up with some heavy handed ground and pound, then caught the arm and extended it for the submission. Thing is, Renato did it in half the time.

 

Result: Renato (7-0) defeated Helton Nascimento (19-10) by Submission (Armbar) in 2:12 of round 1. (Great)

 

Co-Main Event

Welterweight Bout: Charles Stiles (24-7) v Porcorpio Golias (15-6)

 

A decent three round war between these guys. Both men has some nice strikes standing but nothing significant while Golias took Stiles down twice with relative ease, while Stiles himself struggled to Golias down. It was a pretty uneventful fight and the only reason it rated as high as it did was due to the fact that Stiles finished it in the third round via Armbar.

 

Result: Charles Stiles (25-7) defeated Porcorpio Golias (15-7) by Submission (Armbar) in 2:36 of round 3. (Decent)

 

Main Event

Middleweight Title Bout: Joaquim Fontes (25-3) v Thais Antonio Taffarel (19-3)

 

A match that really could have gone either way, Fontes didn't want to stand with Taffarel and barraged him with takedowns but only succeeded with 50% of the 20 he threw. Taffarel had a nice few strikes with some real nasty ones on the ground with four significant strikes. I was really impressed with Taffarel's grappling defense as he fended off 6 submission attempts and stopped Fontes passing him 5 out of 7 attempts. Fontes really just controlled the fight on the ground throwing some strikes while he worked towards the submission. Fontes prob wins 3-2 in terms of round here, but a really nice contest between two very talented fighters.

 

Result: Joaquim Fontes (26-3) defeated Thais Antonio Taffarel (19-3) by Unanimous Decision (49-46 X2, 48-47) in 5:00 of round 5. (Good)

 

Analysis

 

Attendance: 659

Gate: $51,033

PPV: $960,000

Prize: $250

FOTN: Edmilson & Desailly

KOTN: Maciel

SOTN: Stiles

 

An increase in attendance, gate and a really impressive looking income on PPV. We increase by 1.0% in South America and 1.4% in Central America. We also got a 72% Critical and 37% commercial, which are both 2% less than what Zaco v da Costa did in those categories.

 

The Fontes/ Taffarel fight was obviously something the fans wanted to see and I feel they got their money's worth. The fight itself was good and I'm looking forward to Fontes/Zaco later this year, or early next. Taffarel doesn't lose much ground though but another solid challenge is coming for him, who that will be is unknown as of yet.

 

Stiles/Golias was poor enough but it was nice to see a finish. This probably makes Stiles my top WW and one half of the title fight for the vacant belt. He'll probably face the winner of the Palacios/Lucas fight that is headlining in October. Golias probably drops a level in competition, he might take on Hamilton Fonseca Junior if the timing is right, although HFJ has stepped in for a fight against Thomasz de Miranda at our next event, which was riddled with injuries btw, which is next month so depending on the result and recuperation time on Fonseca Junior, that could be a nice fight for both men.

 

Renato did very well in his fight and called out Josimar Martins. Although I feel that would be a nice match for him, in terms of him probably beating Martins, Martins is booked for October so maybe I go a different direction. Not quite sure yet. Nascimento was a nice challenge for Renato even if he did get clobbered.I think Nascimento will fit perfectly as a gatekeeper between contenders and guys who could be contenders.

 

Maciel win is nice and with a KO that builds momentum but I really think Franco could have beaten him. He really showed some good striking and really 2 punches cost him victory. Maciel I think probably needs a fight against Piquet next. Somebody who'll test him again on the feet and I think Piquet can do that. Franco gets a rebuild fight next, especially to get rid of the -3 momentum.

 

Desailly ain't ready for prime time. I probably should have gave him some feeder fights to improve but I like to throw some guys into the deep end. Back to the books with Desailly while Edmilson probably takes on a real test next, maybe de Andrade or Cabral but I'm not very sure.

 

On the prelims only one guy really stood out due to the fact that only one guy finished a fight. Bastos looked great in his fight, even if Sabbatini is the bottom of the barrell, but still. Debutants went 3-2, and although I didn't expectmuch from Simaan, I'm disappointed in de Matos' performance.

 

Predictions

None this time unfortunately.

[DAVEFAN95]

<p><strong>May News</strong></p><p> </p><p>

Month starts the right way with Arkhan Gleiser, Joaquim Fontes and Arthur Franco resigning with us. Gleiser keeps his job for now. </p><p> </p><p>

I hired a whole bunch of fighters to round out my divisions. I would tell you who they are but I'd be writing for days, so I'll introduce them when they have their debut.</p><p> </p><p>

ALPHA, GAMMA, SIGMA and BCF all had shows this month before FLB's. ALPHA put on an interim title defense for Sukarno, which he passed, over Matoki Hojo while Fezzik beat Sarkisian in the co-main event. While GAMMA's event saw Patrick thomas force Maarten de Vries to submit by strikes while Jerry Bogdanovich stopped Bill Cumming in under 2 minutes. SIGMA saw Fjodor Kanchelskis defeated Jaromir Grygera and Lars Bohlin beat Manish Khan. While George Laurent retired after losing to Niko Soldo for the BCF LHW title, Harry Milne also gained a big win over Dave Lennon in the co-main event. </p><p> </p><p>

Huge blow for our next event as I fail to keep Affonso Villar in FLB even though I offered him 20k, I now hope Pedro Sousa can pull something out of the bag against him for the vacant FLB LHW title, but that is very unlikely.</p>