New Clips on Martial Combat Fighting Championship!
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.
Friday
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.
Thursday
The Power of Private Lessons
The Evolve Private Lesson Program is reserved exclusively for Evolve members in order to maximize learning and improvement. In the martial arts world, it is no secret that private 1-on-1 lessons will help your game tremendously. You will see a big boost in your game, especially if you take private lessons alongside your regular training at Evolve. With the largest and most experienced instructor team in Asia, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts. Evolve MMA is the only academy in the world with authentic World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling. If you have the time, you should definitely take advantage of the Evolve Private Lesson Program.
Here are some actual testimonials by current Evolve students who take private 1-on-1 lessons on a regular basis with the Evolve Instructor Team:
"Brodinho and Gordinho are some of the best BJJ Black Belt instructors in the world. I'm a purple belt with several years of experience and I will tell you that private lessons really accelerate your learning rapidly. I have improved an unbelievable amount from them and continue to do so with my weekly private lessons. To have them teach me 1-on-1 is an experience that cannot be replicated. If you haven't taken a private lesson with one of the instructors at Evolve, you are missing out on an invaluable learning opportunity. One has few opportunities in life to learn from the best...How do they train? What do they eat? How do they see themselves and their place in the world? I take privates at Evolve not only because they vastly improve my game, they surely do, but more importantly they help me understand what it takes to be a champion in any field. The instructors at Evolve did not become world champions by accident. They earned it! Though they come from different countries, cultures and martial arts disciplines, these instructors share a similar story of overcoming exceptional adversity in route to true mastery. To play a small part in their story is an honor. To learn from them a rare privilege. I strongly recommend it."
-Cole Sirucek, 35 year old student at Evolve"Private sessions work best with my schedule as it allows me flexibility and I am able to learn and practice with a world class instructor. I receive more 1-on-1 attention and I am able to practice what I learn on my instructor. I am picking up the basics of BJJ more quickly."
-Suat Eksinler, 28 year old student at Evolve
"My son Jeffry and I enjoy our private lessons at Evolve as it allows us to get world class training. The instructors tailor the private class to our skill levels and we learn at a much faster pace. He has been awesome to work with and pushes us very hard. He is constantly teaching and giving us 1-on-1 feedback. I have not had this much fun working out in many years (and I have been an avid weight-lifter for 25 years). It also gives my son and I some quality time together and is a great benefit for me as I have an extremely busy schedule and the private classes give me great flexibility on my training. I would highly recommend private training as the benefits are clearly worth the investment and these are some of the best instructors in all of Asia."
"My son Jeffry and I enjoy our private lessons at Evolve as it allows us to get world class training. The instructors tailor the private class to our skill levels and we learn at a much faster pace. He has been awesome to work with and pushes us very hard. He is constantly teaching and giving us 1-on-1 feedback. I have not had this much fun working out in many years (and I have been an avid weight-lifter for 25 years). It also gives my son and I some quality time together and is a great benefit for me as I have an extremely busy schedule and the private classes give me great flexibility on my training. I would highly recommend private training as the benefits are clearly worth the investment and these are some of the best instructors in all of Asia."
-Gerry Smith, 47 year old student at Evolve
"I take private 1-on-1 lessons with Joao because he breaks down my Jiu Jitsu game and he explains in detail what I'm doing incorrectly. He helps me fix and minimize my weaknesses and improve my strengths."
"I take private 1-on-1 lessons with Joao because he breaks down my Jiu Jitsu game and he explains in detail what I'm doing incorrectly. He helps me fix and minimize my weaknesses and improve my strengths."
-Leon Tan, 34 year old student at Evolve
"I choose to take private Muay Thai sessions because it helps me fine tune my skills. I am able to learn advanced moves that are not yet taught in class too. Having 1-on-1 training with a world class instructor helps my cardio tremendously because I am working out non-stop for an hour straight."
-James Chan Tien Seng, 57 year old student at Evolve "Regularly scheduled group classes provide a great way to learn in a systematic way by following a standard curriculum. Private lessons, however, allow me to work with an instructor to understand the causes of my weaknesses or work to improve further my strengths. Moreover, positional variations can be reviewed extensively--that simply isn't possible in most scheduled classes. If you want to accelerate the speed or improve the depth and breadth of your learning, privates are a great way of doing it."
-Charles Hewitt, 47 year old student at Evolve
If you are interested in taking private 1-on-1 lessons or booking small group lessons with any instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, please stop by the front desk at any of our locations.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®. Achieve Greatness Within™.
If you are interested in taking private 1-on-1 lessons or booking small group lessons with any instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, please stop by the front desk at any of our locations.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®. Achieve Greatness Within™.
Lessons from a Championship Title Fight
Here is an interview with Faber a few days after he got beaten by World Champion Jose Aldo.
Find more videos like this on Urijah Faber
The key lesson from this fight is that it is essential for a fighter to dictate his/her game in a fight. Aldo is unique in that his Muay Thai and BJJ games are equal in terms of experience and skill. Even though he prefers striking more, Aldo is very comfortable on the ground because he is a world-class BJJ Black Belt with many titles in Brazil under his belt. On the other hand, Faber is a far better wrestler than he is a striker. He does his best work when the fight is on the ground. In this particular fight, both men were standing on their feet for approximately 95% of the time. The fight hit the ground only because Aldo kicked Faber in the leg so hard that Faber collapsed in pain. Faber never executed a successful takedown in the entire fight because his left leg was completely disabled. Aldo was able to dictate his game onto Faber. As the superior striker, Aldo's game plan was simple. If he could keep the fight on its feet, then he would have a large advantage because it was Faber's weakest part of his game. If Faber had gone aggressively after takedowns in the first round, the outcome might have been very different.
The goal for any martial artist should be to become as well-rounded in every area as possible. It was very clear in this fight why it is beneficial to do so. At Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®, we are big believers in this principle. Whether it is for a professional fight or a self-defense situation, it is critical to have skills in both the standup and ground departments. As such, Evolve MMA offers the most comprehensive course offering across all the most successful striking and grappling arts. Equally important, most of our courses are headed up by authentic World Champions. In fact, Evolve MMA is the only academy in the world with World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling. As a student at Evolve MMA, you should take advantage of everything that Evolve has to offer, especially since all courses are included in your membership anyways. So pick your favorite course and try to experience all the other courses too! If you do so, then you will see amazing results in terms of your skills, your fitness levels, and your real-life ability to defend yourself.
Here is to Achieving Greatness Within!
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.
Monday
A Very Special Day
The inspiration for the Evolve Community Outreach Program is Kru Yoddecha Sityodtong. Kru Yoddecha is a Muay Thai World Champion and Instructor at Evolve MMA. At 7 years old, he became a homeless orphan and lived on the streets alone. He was eventually ensnared into a mafia gang and forced into child slavery for four years. By a pure miracle, he was rescued at 11 years old by a Muay Thai fighter named Vichai Sityodtong. For Kru Yoddecha, Muay Thai saved his life - literally and figuratively. Kru Yoddecha would later go on to become an international superstar and Muay Thai World Champion before joining Evolve MMA. (For an article by Men's Health magazine on Kru Yoddecha's life, please click here.)
Without the help of a remarkable student at Evolve MMA, this dream of launching the Evolve Community Outreach Program would not have been possible. 57 year old Rich Wee demonstrated extraordinary leadership and undying passion; he worked vigorously with Kru Chatri Sityodtong and Kru Yoddecha Sityodtong to launch the Evolve Community Outreach Program. Evolve is eternally indebted to Rich Wee for his invaluable help and contributions to the Evolve Family. For Kru Chatri and Kru Yoddecha, this program has deep personal significance; they have a very special bond because they started Muay Thai together at the legendary Sityodtong Camp in Thailand almost 25 years ago. Sityodtong Camp is well-known in Thailand for taking in orphans and underprivileged children and transforming their lives. So the circle of life continues with the Evolve Community Outreach Program.
The Evolve Community Outreach Program will be a multi-faceted approach to helping children in need. For its first partner, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® has joined hands with The Boys' Town Home (http://www.boystown.org.sg). The Boys' Town Home is a charitable institution focused on helping troubled children and orphans who have been forgotten by society. The children live at Boys' Town Home, a sanctuary dedicated to enriching their lives with love and life skills. Many of these children are unwanted by their own families and/or have been completely abandoned by their families and society. In other cases, their families simply cannot afford to care for the children. In their first visit to Boys' Town Home a couple months ago, Kru Yoddecha and Kru Chatri were both brought to tears when they gave emotional speeches to the children.
Evolve MMA hopes to become a family to these children while making a lifelong positive impact on their lives through the martial arts. The Evolve Instructor Team will serve as life mentors and will be teaching martial arts to the kids on a pro bono basis. It is our goal to transform the lives of these children by nurturing them with the benefits of martial arts. They will inherit confidence, mental strength, self-discipline, a pure work ethic, self-defense skills, and much more. Above all, they will be taught to dream and to unleash their potential in every area of life.
Here are some pictures of the first day for Hu Qing Song (17), Sohin Kumar (14), Francis Leonardo (15), Aaron Tan (16), and Tan Hsien Hwee (14). Please be sure to give them a warm welcome to the Evolve Family!
Pictured below is Kru Yoddecha Sityodtong at Boys' Town Home a couple months ago.
Pictured below is Kru Chatri Sityodtong with Qing Song, Sohin, Francis, Aaron, and Hsien Hwee.
Pictured below are Rich Wee with some members of the Evolve Instructor Team and the boys from Boys' Town Home. In the second row in the Evolve black t-shirts are (from left to right) Terence Chin, Ped Sityodtong, Rich Wee, Papa Sityodtong, and Yoddecha Sityodtong. In the first row (from left to right) are Hsien Hwee, Aaron, Francis, Qing Song, and Sohin.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts®. Achieve Greatness Within.
Sunday
Photos from UFC 112
For UFC 112, Dos Anjos trained in Singapore for the biggest fight of his career under Professor Gordinho Correa, Kru Chatri Sityodtong, and Kru Toy Sityodtong. Other teammates on the Evolve Fight Team such as BJJ World Champions Leandro Issa and Zoro Moreira were also instrumental in getting Dos Anjos ready for success. With his victory over rising UFC star Terry Etim, Rafael dos Anjos is now poised to enter the upper echelons of his division and potentially contend for the World Championship title in the future if he continues to win.
Pictured above is Rafael dos Anjos in side control and attacking with his knees into Terry Etim's rib cage.
Pictured above is Rafael dos Anjos landing a straight left punch. Take note of the Evolve logo on his shorts!
Pictured above is Rafael dos Anjos attempting a takedown.
Pictured above is Rafael dos Anjos landing a low Muay Thai roundhouse kick.
Pictured above is Rafael dos Anjos starting the armbar submission that would win him the fight.
Rafael dos Anjos immediately after winning the biggest fight of his young career.
Pictured above are members of Asia's top fighting team, the highly decorated Evolve Fight Team, basking in the joy of victory: Professor Gordo Correa, Kru Chatri Sityodtong, Rafael dos Anjos, and Professor Gordinho Correa. Rafael is flashing the Evolve Diamond sign! Also, take note of the Evolve Fight Team caps worn by everybody!
Martial Combat Fighting Championship is 2.5 weeks away!!!
If you would like a preview glimpse of some of the World Champions competing in the event, please join us for the complimentary roadshow at Resorts World Sentosa on May 1-2, 2010. World Champions from Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and MMA will be showcasing their skills in front of Universal Studios as a preview to the Martial Combat Fighting Championship!
Buy your tickets today! If you are an Evolve member, you automatically receive a 10% discount on tickets. Please see the front desk at any of our locations.
Here is a promo clip that has been airing on ESPN StarSports. It features Evolve Instructor and Fighter, Mitch Chilson! He will be competing as one of the main events for the upcoming show in May!
Saturday
What does it take to become a World Champion?
Evolve MMA is the only academy in the world with World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling.
Here are the responses from some of our World Champions and certified Instructors who teach at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, Asia's #1 MMA Academy.
"In my career of almost 300 professional fights, I can tell you that there are 3 things that make the difference between a World Champion and an average fighter. First, it is the love of the game. I can see it in every fighter's eyes. If you truly love something, you are willing to do anything for it. You are willing to endure all odds and sacrifices. This love is the starting point of every great Champion. When I fight someone in a very tough battle, I can feel how much or how little they love it. Love is everything. Secondly, every Champion has heart. Heart is a very difficult thing to determine. You either have the heart of a Champion or you don't. It is not bravery. It is not the lack of fear. It is the ability to conquer your fears and the ability to take your body, mind, and spirit to its limits without breaking down. This concept is something that 99% of the population never get to experience. When you take your body, mind, and spirit to its limits, it is almost a zen-like peaceful state. It is almost like I am surrendering myself to something greater than myself. It is a surreal experience. Third, I think luck or fate plays a very important role. I know many fighters who were unbelievable and who had all the qualities to be a Champion, but they never made it due to bad luck. For example, one guy who trained with me since we were kids was #4 in the world. Kongpattaya Sityodtong was 1 fight away from fighting for the Lumpinee World Championship when he accidentally fractured his shin in a fight. He was never the same and eventually retired soon after. Kongpattaya was an amazing fighter who could have been Champion, but he just had bad luck. For me, when I look back at my career, I cannot believe how lucky I have been. I started when I was 6 years old with big dreams and no idea how long or hard the journey would be. I cannot tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep or how many times I wanted to quit. I trained 6 hours a day, 6 days a week for 15 years straight before I won the World Championship. And believe me, I had many low points in my career where no one believed in me anymore. But in the end, my love for Muay Thai gave me the strength to move forward."
-Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"That is a very interesting question. I would have to agree with Nueng on his points, but I would add a couple more things. I would add natural ability. Yes, there are some World Champions who only have their work ethic and pain tolerance as their main assets. But most World Champions are blessed with special gifts. For example, the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time, Samart Payakaroon Sityodtong, was always 10x better than anyone else, even when he was 7 years old. He is the most famous Muay Thai fighter in Thailand and he is a national hero. Samart was unhittable in his prime like Muhammed Ali was in his prime. The funny thing is that Samart was like that since he was a child. His eyes are his greatest assets. He can see everything in slow motion and can react 10x faster than anyone. As a result, he cannot be hit. Samart's style of Muay Thai cannot be taught or replicated. Another dimension that makes the difference between a World Champion and an average fighter is pain tolerance. At the highest professional level, everyone can kick, punch, knee, and elbow with fluidity. Yet, some people can receive 20 kicks straight in the ribs and keep moving forward. Others fold after receiving 5 kicks to the ribs."
Yoddecha Sityodtong, Muay Thai World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"In BJJ, many things need to happen in order to be a World Champion. I love what I do. This is the most important thing. I work very hard. I train every day. I am mentally strong. I have the best instructors and training partners. If you train with the best, you will become the best. You see, it takes many things to make a World Champion."
-Antonio Braga Neto, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"I have grown up with Muay Thai all of my life as a student, a fighter, and a teacher. I can tell you that there is a huge difference between a World Champion and an average Muay Thai fighter. For example, a few years ago, Yoddecha was in the middle of a very tough fight with an excellent opponent. He was quite bruised and battered from the fight and I could tell that his right knee was hurting for some reason. In the 3rd round, Yoddecha threw a right kick and his knee came completely out from its socket. As you can imagine, the pain was unbearable. However, rightly or wrongly, he refused to quit. I can tell you that 99% of professional fighters would have quit on the spot. He fought the rest of the fight with one leg and won by KO eventually. I often wonder to this day about how much Yoddecha must love Muay Thai to withstand such pain. Yoddecha and I have been friends for more than 20 years ever since we started Muay Thai together at the Sityodtong Gym in Thailand. And I can tell you - he has always been special and different. Champions are born, but they must be made by other Champions. To be a Champion, you need the right genetics, you need world-class training, and you need a heart of a lion."
-Chatri Sityodtong, Muay Thai fighter and Evolve Instructor
"Some qualities are innate and other qualities are developed over time. Qualities like heart (the willingness to die in the ring) and talent are not developed over time. You either have it or you don't. You are born with them and it is up to you to unleash your potential. The other qualities for a World Champion are work ethic, mental toughness, and desire. These things can be developed and strengthened over time. For myself, I believe that I am a WBA Boxing World Champion because I work harder than anyone else does and I have zero ability to quit. To beat me in the ring, you have to literally kill me or knock me unconscious. I have never quit a fight from pain and I have been in some very tough wars. In terms of work ethic, I was famous at Sityodtong Camp for having the best work ethic. Every day, I outran and out-trained everyone including other World Champions."
-Yodsanan Sityodtong, WBA Boxing World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"World Champions are made. You need talent - yes. However, the most important things are your instructors, your training partners, your family. Without strong support from others, it is nearly impossible to become a World Champion."
-Leandro Brodinho Issa, BJJ World Champion and Evolve Instructor
"If you train with the best, you will become the best. This is the simple formula for success for everything in life. If you want to be the best scientist in the world, you better go to the best schools and learn from the best mentors and peers. If you want to be the best doctor in the world, you need to attend the best medical schools and learn from the best doctors in the world. Fighting is no different. People do not understand the value of learning from the best - the best teachers, the best fighters, the best friends, the best family. Of course, you can take shortcuts in life. But to give yourself maximum chance to become a World Champion, you need to learn from the best. From my experience, World Champions have a crazy intense passion for excellence and always strive to become better. Humility is an important ingredient."
-Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong, Trainer of World Champions and Evolve Instructor
Friday
Submit Your Photo Today!!!
Win an Apple MacBook Pro and a 12 month membership to Evolve! All you need to do is to submit a photo of yourself doing a martial arts pose in a crazy location. You don't even have to be an Evolve member to participate in the competition! It's open to everyone and it's completely free! Just submit your picture online at the URL below and earn a chance to win prizes!
For more details, please click on the link below.
http://evolve-mma.com/photo-contest/index.html
Here is to Achieving Greatness Within!
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.
Wednesday
FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!!!
The Martial Combat Fighting Championship is Asia's largest and most prestigious MMA event and it hits Singapore on May 12-13, 2010. ESPN StarSports is broadcasting it to 350 million viewers across 24 countries. The first event will feature 3 fighters from Evolve Mixed Martial Arts:
- BJJ World Champion Leandro Issa
- Muay Thai Striker Mitch Chilson
- Rising Brazilian MMA Superstar Eduardo Pachu.
What: Official Roadshow for Martial Combat Fighting Championship
Who: World Champions from Evolve MMA!
Where: Resorts World Sentosa by the entrance of Universal Studios at the Bull Ring
When: May 1-2, 2010
For more details, please see the brochure below.
Sunday
Evolve MMA Factoids: Did You Know...?
You Did What For a Living???!!!
-Kru Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong used to be a bodyguard for Thailand's most famous pop singer, Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre.
-BJJ World Champion Leandro Brodinho Issa used to pick coconuts from trees for a living in Brazil.
-Kru Saknarong "Ped" Sityodtong used to work as a bouncer in Pattaya's most dangerous nightclub.
-Kru Toy Sityodtong worked his way up from bellboy to manager of a small hotel before quitting to dedicate his life to Muay Thai again.
-Muay Thai and FightShape Instructor Mitch Chilson used to be a top model in advertisements for Singapore Airlines, Singtel, and other large companies! He's almost too pretty to be a fighter!
-FightShape Instructor Lucie Benito used to be an executive at IBM.
Who Says Fighters Are Dumb???!!!
-BJJ Black Belt World Champion Rafael Gordinho Correa holds a law degree from one of the top universities in Brazil. He actually graduated from law school in the same year that he became BJJ World Champion!
-Kru Chatri Sityodtong is the only Muay Thai fighter and trainer from the legendary Sityodtong Camp in Thailand to have earned an MBA from Harvard - not bad for a guy with over 30 fights!
-WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong earned a Bachelor's degree AFTER he became World Champion. It took him 5 years to do it, but he attended classes at a local university in between his training sessions and title defenses!
-Muay Thai World Champion Nuengpichit Sityodtong is the only Muay Thai World Champion in Thailand to have attended university.
-BJJ Black Belt World Championship Silver Medalist Almiro Barros earned a Bachelors degree in Physical Education.
-European BJJ Black Belt Champion Joao Carneiro holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication.
You Were That Poor???!!!
-UFC Fighter Rafael dos Anjos was once so poor that he lived in the slums of Rio de Janeiro and almost considered becoming a truck driver.
-Kru Chatri Sityodtong was once so poor that he could only afford to eat 1 small meal a day and had to walk everywhere because he couldn't afford public transportation.
-WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong was once so poor that he had to sleep in the ring where he trained.
-BJJ World Champion Leandro Brodinho Issa was once so poor that his highest monthly income prior to joining Evolve was $300/month.
-Kru Daorung "Papa" Sityodtong was once so poor that he only ate a plain bowl of rice with red chillies as his only meal every day.
Really???!!!
-European BJJ Black Belt Champion Joao Carneiro lived in India in order to further his knowledge of yoga. He is a certified Yoga Instructor with over 10+ years of experience and definitely the most flexible instructor at Evolve MMA!
-MMA Instructor and Professional Fighter Brian Choi, uprooted his entire life and moved from Korea to Singapore solely to train at Evolve MMA! When he found out that Evolve had opened, he said goodbye to his family and moved to Singapore to chase a dream (without knowing if he would be accepted or not onto the Evolve Fight Team)! He literally just showed up one day at the front desk at PoMo Mall and asked to be a part of the Evolve Fight Team!
-MMA Instructor Setsuma Takeda once fought an MMA fight against a 90kg opponent while he weighed only 60kg! He took the fight because the promoter offered him double the pay and Setsuma was dirt poor. He lost on points, but won over the crowd! As the saying goes, the size of the fight in the dog is more important than the size of the dog in the fight!
-Kru Chatri Sityodtong became a self-made, multimillionaire by his early 30s. Before starting Evolve MMA at 37 years old, he went to Rwanda to trek several hours by foot into the African jungle to hang out with Silverback Gorillas in the wild; he spent an hour with a family of gorillas weighing 300-500 lbs and his only protection were 2 bodyguards with AK47 machine guns!
-Muay Thai World Champion Nuengpichit Sityodtong taught himself to play the guitar. And he is pretty good! He has always dreamed of becoming a pop singer!
-WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong was an actor in a big hit action movie in Thailand and is still a celebrity back home.
-BJJ World Champion Rafael Gordinho Correa grew up in the house next door to Renzo Gracie and that is how he got started in BJJ! They've been close friends for over 30 years! Before Evolve MMA, Professor Gordinho managed Renzo's main academy as its Program Director.
-BJJ World Champion Antonio Braga Neto is the only person in history to become World Champion in Blue Belt, Purple Belt, Brown Belt, and Black Belt in consecutive years!
-BJJ World Champion Roberto Gordo Correa is a legend in Brazil. Not only is he the inventor of the half guard, but he has also produced an astounding number of World Champions and professional MMA fighters. Professor Gordo is the older brother of Professor Gordinho and is the head of Evolve MMA Brazil.
-Evolve MMA Instructors Leandro Brodinho Issa, Antonio Braga Neto, and Rafael dos Anjos used to be roommates in a small studio apartment in the slums of Rio de Janeiro! And now they all work at Evolve MMA!
-Most of the Muay Thai Instructors at Evolve MMA like Kru Daorung, Kru Yoddecha, Kru Chatri, Kru Saknarong, Kru Kongtoranee, etc have known each other for at least 20 years and in some cases even 40 years!
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA is ranked among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts.
Some Basic Muay Thai Clinch Techniques
Saturday
Evolve MMA: Asia's Top MMA Academy
Here are some quick facts:
-Evolve is the #1 MMA academy in Asia.
-The elite Evolve Instructor Team is the largest and most experienced team in Asia.
-It has over 450 years of championship experience.
-Evolve Instructors and Fighters have won multiple World Championships in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling.
-It has also competed and won at the top MMA events in the world such as the UFC, the Art of War, etc.
-Evolve has a staff of 37 world-class instructors including 10 World Champions
-The flagship academy for Evolve is the largest and most state-of-the-art martial arts facility of its kind in Asia.
-Evolve has 3 locations in Brazil and Singapore.
-It offers the largest and most convenient class schedules in Singapore.
-Evolve offers one of the most comprehensive course offerings in Asia with Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Submission Grappling, Boxing, Wrestling, FightShape, and many other courses.
-Evolve has been featured by CNN, ESPN, StarSports, Men's Health, Shape, New York Times, Reuters, ABC News, EuroSport, Straits Times, China Post, Jakarta Globe, Business Times, and many other top media around the world.
Here are some testimonials:
"If you want to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, or MMA, you cannot find a better place to train. Evolve is one of the best academies in Asia, if not the best. It is the first and only Renzo Gracie Academy in Asia for a reason. You have the highest quality instruction in the world at Evolve. How many times in your life can you learn from World Champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Boxing in the same day? At Evolve, it is every day! Just remember that great teachers make great students! Gordinho was one of my top guys and now he is your teacher at Evolve"
-Master Renzo Gracie, Legendary Fighter/Teacher and 6th Degree BJJ Black Belt
"Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is the most authentic Muay Thai school outside of Thailand. It is the largest official Sityodtong Gym besides the main one in Pattaya. The Evolve Muay Thai instructors have all trained with me since they were children - Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Chatri Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong, Daorung Sityodtong, and Saknarong Sityodtong. What is taught at Evolve is exactly the same as what is taught at the Sityodtong Gym in Thailand. How do I know? Because I am the founder, Kru, and owner of the Sityodtong Gym in Thailand."
-Kru Yodtong Senanan, Thailand's most influential Muay Thai Grandmaster
"Thank you to my teachers for everything - Gordo, Gordinho, Chatri, Nueng, Jak, and everybody who helps me. Evolve MMA is heaven for a professional fighter like me. To have the best in the world in each discipline is unbelievable. I don't think there is another MMA academy like this one in the world. I am in the best shape of my life and my skills have improved so much. The results speak for themselves - I am 3-0 in the UFC since joining Evolve MMA. I need this team to help me fulfill my dream of becoming World Champion. I am so happy."
-Rafael Dos Anjos, UFC Lightweight Contender
"The Instructors at Evolve are very experienced and technical. It is a great place to train. It's Evolve all the way!"
-Janet Lee, 22 year old female student
"Evolve has made a dramatic difference to my life; not only to my fitness but also to my general happiness and self confidence. The instructors are inspirational; they create an atmosphere where you can go beyond what you initially thought possible. Going to Evolve is the highlight of each day for me. I am totally addicted! I have made so many friends at Evolve, it's like an extended family. It would have taken years (if ever) to meet such great people through living everyday life"
-Tracey Jennings, 38 year old female student
"I'm an Evolve member and I love it! It is the only place where you can learn from World Champions and top instructors. Above all, there is a great sense of camaraderie at Evolve among instructors, students, and staff. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. Another thing is that the schedule is by far the most convenient in Singapore. 7 days a week with 10 classes per day! The facilities are incredible, too. Nothing comes even close to Evolve."
-Charles Hewitt, 47 year old male student
"I didn't know anything about martial arts when I joined Evolve almost 5 months ago. Now, I've lost 21 kgs and have more discipline. As I improved my skills in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I felt my self-confidence grow. My fitness is so much better too. Before I could barely even do any warm-ups and now I can do warm-ups without even breaking a sweat. And my studies are better than ever. Thank you to the Evolve Instructor Team! They are always there to help anyone achieve their dreams and goals"
-Brice Tan, 15 year old male student
Some Basic BJJ Techniques from Renzo Gracie Academy
Here are some key details for the Upa Escape:
Here is a basic Spider Guard Sweep:
Here is a cool Armbar Switch Technique:
Thursday
WANTED: Local Singaporean Martial Artists!
Have you ever dreamed of competing in the UFC? Or fighting at Lumpinee Stadium? If so, your dreams can come true. Evolve MMA is launching a National Talent Search!!! Evolve is looking for 3-5 local Singaporeans to join the official Evolve Fight Team. The idea is to produce Singapore's first World Champion in the future. As a member of the Evolve Fight Team, you will train under World Champions across all disciplines at Evolve MMA and compete for the Evolve Fight Team. The only prerequisites are that you must already be an intermediate-to-advanced martial artist in 1 or more disciplines and have a dream to compete in MMA. If you believe that you are qualified, then please submit your martial arts bio to info@evolve-mma.com.
There will be an open tryout session in the future. As one of the top academies in the world, Evolve has the highest standards of excellence. We are looking for potential future champions. Everyone is welcome to submit an application, regardless of affiliations, age, or gender. After all applications are received, the top 20 applicants will then be invited to the tryouts. However, only 3-5 applicants will receive the honor of joining Asia's most prestigious fight team, the Evolve Fight Team.
If you make the team, then your training at Evolve MMA will be completely free of cost.
Evolve MMA is 100% committed to producing World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Mixed Martial Arts. Equally important, Evolve MMA would like to produce the first Singaporean World Champion in the future. As a member of the Evolve Fight Team, you will have complete access to all of our facilities around the world and you will be groomed by the elite Evolve Instructor Team. You will receive the best training and instruction available anywhere in the world. Our World Champions in each discipline will train you for your goals. Additionally, our team of Strength and Conditioning experts will revamp your entire conditioning program and elevate your fitness levels to the highest standards of excellence. If you would like, we can also manage all your fight bookings and career at all the major events including the UFC, Martial Combat Fighting Championship, the Art of War, the Mundials BJJ World Championship, the Lumpinee Muay Thai World Championship, and any other top fighting event in the world in which you wish to compete.
For your application, please submit the following information:
-Full Name
-IC Number
-Weight and Height
-Age
-Martial arts experience
-Current rank under which teacher
-Number of competitions
-Email address
-Phone number
For more information on the Evolve Fight Team, please click here.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. Evolve MMA ranks among the best academies in the world for Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai.
Tuesday
Martial Combat Fighting Championship is HERE!!!
Evolve MMA will be representing Singapore in the event. For the May event, Mitch Chilson, Leandro Issa, and Eduardo Pachu from the Evolve Fight Team will be competing.
Here are 2 Martial Combat Fighting Championship Teasers currently airing on ESPN, featuring Muay Thai/BJJ specialist Mitch Chilson and BJJ Black Belt Zoro Moreira from Evolve MMA in Singapore. Enjoy!
Sunday
Live Report from UFC 112: Conclusion
"When the bus dropped us off at the stadium last night, we entered through a special entrance reserved for fighters and cornermen. The song, "I Gotta a Feeling," by Black Eyed Peas was blasting and the intermittent roar of the crowd was deafening as they watched the preliminary fights. All the fighters arrived at staggered times based on what time they were scheduled to fight. Dos Anjos was scheduled to fight around 10pm and UFC made us arrive at 7pm. For UFC 112, the UFC Fighters Area was a little like a movie set with many air conditioned trailers for all the fighters. Each trailer had a group of fighters based on their affiliations.
Our trailer was the Team Renzo Gracie trailer with fighters for the night: Renzo Gracie, Frankie Edgar, and Rafael Dos Anjos. Inside the trailer was a training area, chairs, and a flat screen TV so that we could watch the action while warming up. The Team Renzo Gracie trailer had a good group of friends with deep MMA knowledge: Ralph Gracie (Renzo's brother), UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre, John Danaher, Rafael Gordinho Correa, Roberto Gordo Correa, UFC Welterweight Ricardo Almeida, Kru Phil Nurse, UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, Rillion Gracie, myself, and several others. Most of us already knew each other from before. So the atmosphere was very relaxed, helpful, and friendly. Renzo is a great leader in that way and almost everyone in the room was one of his students. He surrounds himself with people who are both great martial artists and nice human beings. We all were watching the fights, warming up, or talking about the fight game. As usual, the exchange of knowledge was priceless. When you bring such elite fighters and trainers from varying disciplines into one room, everyone learns something new. Gordinho invited UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre to come train at Evolve MMA in Singapore. While Gordinho and St Pierre have been acquaintances (and have trained together at Renzo Gracie Academy) for a few years already, it was my first time meeting him. St Pierre is a very nice and humble guy. He carries himself exactly like all our World Champions at Evolve MMA do - with genuine humility and a quiet confidence. You can tell that Georges is a great human being; he truly lives the martial arts way of life in terms of respect, courage, humility, honor, etc. I warmed up Dos Anjos with the Thai pads and we went over the game plan again. Gordo rolled with Dos Anjos a little bit and also did a little ground and pound. Renzo did some boxing for his warmup. The only bad thing about being in the Team Renzo Gracie trailer was that we had a constant stream of media coming into our trailer for interviews. It is not the best atmosphere to stay focused and relaxed. Dos Anjos was super hyped up and we had to get him to calm down a little.
The fight did not go exactly according to our game plan, but it was close enough. The first part of the plan was to come out with aggressive Muay Thai right out of the gate and force Etim to back pedal. We truly felt that Dos Anjos could damage Etim with Muay Thai before taking him to the ground to submit him. However, for whatever reason though, Dos Anjos immediately came out in a very conservative defensive manner and danced away from Etim. Against a striker like Etim, it is very dangerous to give him space. We kept yelling at Dos Anjos to be the aggressor instead of dancing away. Dos Anjos made a few errors standing up in the 1st round. He also made an error on the takedown. Dos Anjos got caught in Etim's famous guillotine. Luckily, we focused a lot of Dos Anjos' ground work for this fight on defending and escaping the guillotine in anticipation that Etim would use it. While the guillotine was very close, Dos Anjos was never in serious trouble. (He actually gave us the thumbs up signal with his right hand to signal that he was fine). He simply let Etim gas his arms out trying to complete the submission. In the 2nd round, Etim came out looking for the KO via head kick. We all yelled at Dos Anjos to close the distance with specific combinations and to initiate a takedown. He nailed the takedown and eventually landed the armbar submission. We celebrated with a huge group hug in the Octagon. The first thing Dos Anjos yelled out was "EVOLVE!" and joined 2 fingers from each hand to form the Evolve diamond. In case you missed him doing it, you can catch the UFC replays.
After his fight, we watched the other fights with ringside seats in the stadium. Rafael was constantly mobbed by fans asking for pictures. And we all kept hugging each other over and over; we were all in heaven and had the greatest high in the world. This is the magic of the Evolve Family. This fight was Dos Anjos' biggest fight of his entire career and we did it together. People think that MMA is an individual sport, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. It is a team sport because you live and die by your teammates and teachers. You are only as good as the people that surround you. Kru Yodtong Senanan, the Grandmaster of Sityodtong Camp, used to tell me that all the time when I was young. Dos Anjos is so grateful for everyone who helped him to his victory. He has such humility and grace. The entire Evolve Instructor Team contributed to training Dos Anjos for this fight. And Dos Anjos kept saying how much he appreciated Evolve for helping him. To be the best, you need to train with the best.
Instead of going to the UFC After Party, we decided to party together in my suite at the hotel. We had many chilled bottles of champagne ready to go for the celebrations. We ordered an insane amount of room service - steak sandwiches, club sandwiches, salads, hummus and tabouleh, cheesecakes, chocolate ice cream, and a ton more other food. These magical moments are ephemeral, rare, and beautiful. So last night, we drank too much, we ate too much, and we laughed too much!!!
For me, the biggest lesson from UFC 112 is simply, "Dream big. Love what you do. Surround yourself with amazing people. And always believe in yourself." Rafael Dos Anjos will become UFC World Champion one day and it will be because of this simple formula.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AT EVOLVE MMA FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!"
Saturday
Live Report from UFC 112: FIGHT DAY
"Can Terry Etim beat Rafael Dos Anjos? Yes, of course. A fight is a fight and anything can happen. Etim will always have a striker's chance with a lucky head kick or something. In fact, most experts believe that Terry Etim will beat Rafael Dos Anjos. The oddsmakers have Dos Anjos as the underdog. However, if Dos Anjos and Etim were to fight 10 times, I believe that Dos Anjos would win 9 times. In my opinion, Dos Anjos has the edge in standup, wrestling, and on the ground. In standup, Dos Anjos' Muay Thai is now slightly better than Etim's. He has worked very hard with Kru Toy Sityodtong, Kru Nuengpichit Sityodtong, and myself. In wrestling, he is much better than Etim. On the ground, it is not even a comparison. Dos Anjos is a world-class elite BJJ Black Belt and Etim is a purple belt level grappler. For this fight, Dos Anjos trained with our top BJJ Black Belts every day. After spending many hours reviewing Terry Etim's strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies, we devised the perfect game plan and strategy to win this fight. This fight could end up looking like GSP-Hardy II, but with a KO or a submission ending in favor of Dos Anjos.
One thing is certain. This fight is the biggest fight of their young careers for both Rafael Dos Anjos and Terry Etim. Not only is it the first time that either of them are fighting on the main card of the UFC, but this event is one of the biggest in history. It is being televised to over 450 million people across 100 countries. The winner will move up the ranks (especially if he wins in dramatic fashion with a stoppage or submission) and will be 1-2 fights away from the upper echelons of the toughest division in the UFC, the Lightweight division.
The thing that impresses me most about Rafael Dos Anjos is his humility as a fighter and as a human being. As a fighter, it is critical to be humble. Why? Humility allows you to remain a student of the game. The minute you believe that you are better than everyone else, your downfall will start because you will stop learning at a rapid rate. Dos Anjos listens to all of us and absorbs everything like a sponge in each discipline. In a few years, Dos Anjos is going to be a phenomenal MMA fighter because he is evolving every day in Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing, and Wrestling. He is the real deal.
Today is fight day. After breakfast, Dos Anjos took some pictures and signed some autographs for some fans waiting in the hotel lobby. Dos Anjos currently weighs 80 kilos or 176 lbs. Right now we are all just hanging out and relaxing. He is visualizing all the different moves that we have gone through. I believe that our game plan and strategy will give us the greatest odds for victory. At 630pm local time, we will head down to the UFC bus that will take us to the stadium. Dos Anjos is expected to fight around 10pm local time in Abu Dhabi.
WAR Dos Anjos!!! WAR Renzo!!! WAR Team Evolve!!!"
Live Report from UFC 112: Day 5
"Yesterday evening, Dos Anjos began his weight cut. No water, no food. Only spoonfuls of honey and little pieces of a protein bar intermittently. At 10am today, we had an initial weight check and Dos Anjos was 77 kilos. The sauna was exhausting as usual, but Dos Anjos was able to get to the fight weight (70.5 kilos) by 1pm. Dropping 6.5 kilos in a few hours is very taxing on the body and mind. However, we have all been through it many times and so it was just another day at the office. When we came out of the spa, the hotel lobby buzzed with a fantastic energy level as fans and reporters swarmed UFC Welterweight World Champion Georges St Pierre, UFC Middleweight World Champion Anderson Silva, and UFC Lightweight World Champion BJ Penn. Our opponent, Terry Etim, was also in the lobby with his team as were all the other UFC fighters. Team Evolve (Dos Anjos, Gordinho, Gordo, and I) all hung out in the lobby chatting with a few friends for a while. Renzo came over and hung out with us for a bit too. Gordinho also gave me a birthday present in front of everyone - a brand spanking new Apple iPad! BJJ and ADCC World Champion Braulio Estima also came over; earlier, Gordinho and Braulio had a great sparring session on the mats. BJJ World Champion Roger Gracie arrived and greeted all of us.
At 2pm, we kicked off the start of the weigh-in process. We all headed down to a meeting room for all UFC fighters and cornermen for a last debriefing session before the official weigh-in and fight. There is a natural tension in the air when all the UFC fighters and cornermen are together in one room. Opponents simply do not want to be near each other. After the debriefing session, we boarded 2 separate buses to the Marina Mall, the largest mall in Abu Dhabi where the UFC weigh-in would take place. During the bus ride there, Renzo had all of us roaring in laughter with crazy stories from his youth. He is a truly insane and funny guy with the biggest balls in the world. When we arrived to the mall, there was a huge crowd awaiting inside. The atmosphere was electric. We were all escorted by UFC staff to a special area while all the fans were cheering and taking pictures. When Joe Rogan and Dana White came out, the crowd got more excited. The weigh-ins were all successful. Dos Anjos came in perfectly at 156 lbs or 71 kilos. For non-title fights, you are allowed a 1 pound allowance for the 155 lbs weight limit. The highlights of the weigh-in were Renzo Gracie's entrance and Anderson Silva and Demian Maia's staredown. Immediately after the weigh-ins, Dos Anjos started the rehydration process with electrolyte fluids and baby food. After the event was over, we were all whisked away onto the 2 separate buses to return back to the Yas Island Rotana Hotel for the medical check-ups. As far as I know, everyone passed with flying colors.
At 8pm, Team Evolve gathered together and went for a quiet dinner at an Italian restaurant called Felini. It was just Gordinho, Gordo, Dos Anjos, myself, and family. We were all very relaxed and had a good time with many laughs. What makes Evolve so special is the true family spirit that we all have for each other. On a different note, a big sponsorship deal came in for Dos Anjos at the last minute. As a result, we will now be wearing Sinister Brand shirts tomorrow for the fight (instead of the Evolve Fight Team shirt). It is great news for Dos Anjos because his pay (purse + sponsorship money) just went up by 200% for this fight!!!
After we got back to the hotel, Dos Anjos weighed 77 kilos. We anticipate that he will be around 81-82 kilos by tomorrow night. Most importantly, Dos Anjos is in PHENOMENAL mental and physical shape. His confidence and mental focus are unbreakable right now. He just completed the best camp of his entire career. For this camp, Dos Anjos trained every day under Muay Thai World Champions and Thai instructors from Sityodtong Camp in Thailand, rolled every day with our BJJ Mundials Black Belt World Champions from Brazil, sparred with our WBA World Boxing Champion, and wrestled with our Wrestling team - all under one roof at Evolve MMA in Singapore.
It is now less than 24 hours before the fight. It's show time and Team Evolve is ready for a WAR!!!"
Thursday
Live Report from UFC 112: Day 4
"Last night's training session was invigorating. The training room was crowded as usual, buzzing with a high level of adrenaline, excitement, and testosterone. The tension in the air was palpable and you could almost cut it with a knife. Everyone's demeanor was even more serious today because it is so close to fight time. UFC Middleweight contender Demian Maia did 5 rounds (5 minutes a piece) of boxing, wrestling, and BJJ. His striking game is looking better than ever. You can really see that he is 100% fit and ready to go. He told us that he worked mostly on wrestling and takedowns for his training camp. It makes sense since he is fighting the best striker in the MMA game in Muay Thai specialist and UFC World Champion, Anderson Silva. The last thing that Maia wants to do is to stand and strike with a Muay Thai guy like Silva. BJJ World Champion Xande Ribeiro is one of Maia's cornermen and was training Maia on the ground. The level of BJJ is insane when these 2 guys roll. They flow from position to position and submission to submission in lightning speed, especially since it is No Gi. UFC Heavyweight Antonio Nogueira dropped by and traded some knoweldge with us. Renzo Gracie did 8 rounds (5 minutes a piece) of striking and ground. His MMA guard game is truly phenomenal. He has some crazy tricks. UFC welterweight Ricardo Almeida rolled with Renzo and also practiced takedowns with him. Kru Phil Nurse (Georges St Pierre's Muay Thai coach) was also in the room as an observer. Anderson Silva was practicing Muay Thai in the other training room. He is a beautiful striker - very fluid and technical. Matt Hughes also trained in the other room. UFC Lightweight contender Frankie Edgar did not train last night. He sat and watched the training session, absorbing the knowledge exchange. Dos Anjos went light and we only did 3 rounds of 5 minutes. BJJ World Champion Romulo Barral also joined in the action and showed us some great triangle choke tricks.
I woke up bright and early today. The media and press started arriving in droves. When I went for breakfast, the hotel lobby was teeming with reporters and fans asking for interviews and autographs. Personally, I'm so excited for Dos Anjos that my mind has been racing non-stop. We've poured our hearts and minds into Dos Anjos. I've gone over our game plan in my head so many times now that I can visualize many parts of the fight. We have really done a lot of specific training for Terry Etim and his favorite techniques. I really don't see how Dos Anjos loses, except for a lucky kick or something by Terry Etim. Dos Anjos is going to shock Terry Etim with his Muay Thai and BJJ. Dos Anjos is a lot more explosive than Etim, possesses more speed, and hits much harder too. Etim is an excellent fighter because of his unusual body type. He's 6 feet 1 inch tall and fights at 155 lbs! He definitely can pose a lot of problems standing up and on the ground with his long limbs. However, from a pure Muay Thai technical level, Dos Anjos now has higher level and more technical Muay Thai than Etim. Kru Toy Sityodtong, Kru Nuengpichit Sityodtong and I have worked very hard to elevate Dos Anjos' Muay Thai game. He has improved in leaps and bounds. Of course, Dos Anjos still has a long way to go before his Muay Thai is considered excellent by our Sityodtong standards. However, for UFC standards, Dos Anjos has excellent Muay Thai now. Gordinho says that Dos Anjos' BJJ is better than ever. It has helped a lot for Dos Anjos to roll with all of our BJJ Black Belts at Evolve MMA every day. Zoro and Gordinho have the same height as Etim, but they weigh a lot more. So Dos Anjos has been rolling with body types similar to Etim, but only stronger, heavier, and more technical. In training camp, it is very important to simulate your opponent as much as you can. Dos Anjos says that this training camp has been the most complete training camp that he has ever had. All I can say is that we are 2 days away from the biggest fight of his young career and Dos Anjos is READY!!! Go Team Evolve!!!"
Wednesday
Live Report from UFC 112: Day 3
"It is Wednesday evening and we are now 3 days away from UFC 112, one of the biggest shows in history. I don't remember the last time that a main card was this stacked - Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Matt Hughes, Renzo Gracie, Demian Maia, Frankie Edgar, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Terry Etim. Wow, it is going to be a very exciting night of fights! Dos Anjos has been resting all day - surfing the Internet, watching TV, and hanging out. His confidence is unbelievable and he cannot wait to get into the Octagon - I'm very happy about his mental state. The mental preparation is the most important thing for a fighter. It is 95% of the game. I always say that if you don't have 100% confidence in your training camp, your cardio, and your abilities, it will show up during the fight. I won't name names, but there are 2 fighters on this UFC card that are having confidence problems right now. It is very apparent during the group training sessions. As a result, they will likely lose their respective fights. On the other hand, Dos Anjos is unbreakable right now. His confidence is at an all-time high. Of course, confidence alone doesn't win fights and it does not guarantee success. However, a lack of confidence is a guaranteed way to lose a fight before it begins.
Today, Gordinho and Gordo decided to drive to Dubai for some sightseeing and fun. They went with a group of UFC fighters and cornermen. Dos Anjos and I decided to stay back at the hotel in Abu Dhabi for a mellow day. We had a light lunch together at the hotel coffee shop and discussed everything, except the fight itself. Antonio Nogueira and Andre Galvao were also at lunch. Afterwards, we met up with Renzo in the lobby and hung out for a little bit before the UFC interviews. Renzo was playing with the new Apple iPad and it is an awesome machine indeed. He is unbelievably relaxed and really enjoying the moment. At 5pm, we headed to the UFC interviews (you know the pre-fight highlights that you see on PPV right before the fights begin) for some Q&A for Dos Anjos and Renzo. Afterwards, we all headed to the UFC Reception Area to fill out paperwork and get our fighter and cornermen credentials. On an entirely different note, we are still tinkering with Dos Anjos' clothes for the actual fight. We found out on Monday that the sponsorship deals have come in big for him for this event. It's great news for Dos Anjos because sponsorship money is very good for UFC fighters.
The weigh-ins are roughly 48 hours away. Tomorrow at this time, Dos Anjos will begin the process of shedding 5-6 kilos of water weight in 24 hours. It is one of the most painful parts about fighting at the professional level (although 5-6 kilos is not bad at all). He will only ingest small spoons of honey and a protein bar while baking in the sauna. After the weigh-ins, we will then rehydrate his body with electrolyte fluids and fuel it with very small meals almost hourly until 8pm of the night of the fight. At the time of the actual fight, Dos Anjos should weigh approximately 80 kilos.
At 9pm tonight, we will have another group training session in the UFC workout rooms."
Live Report from UFC 112: Day 2
"Yesterday (Tuesday April 6), I slept in for a change. Truthfully, I've been super exhausted from a crazy few weeks of work. I'm not complaining a bit though - I have the best job in the world. I truly love what I do with all of my soul. Muay Thai has been my greatest passion in life for almost 25 years ever since I was a young boy in Thailand. I still feel like a kid every day when I am teaching, training, or fighting. I love MMA and BJJ too. However, I do have to confess that I'm a terrible Blue Belt even on a good day. Either way, I still enjoyed sleeping in until noon on a weekday!
By the time I woke up, everyone (Anderson Silva, Matt Hughes, Demian Maia, Renzo Gracie, Frankie Edgar, Ricardo Almeida, Rafael Gordinho, Roberto Gordo, etc.) was already by the swimming pool, frolicking under the strong Arabian sun in distinct separate groups. The funny thing about the week before a big fight is that there is a lot of dead time. It's a little like vacation, except everyone is a little grumpy and tense because they are tightly managing their weight and thinking about the fight. Last week, Dos Anjos weighed 80 kilos. He is supposed to drop 10 kilos by this coming Friday for the official weigh-ins. The weight limit for his fight is 70.5 kilos. Most professional fighters cut tremendous weight for the weigh-ins and then regain a bulk of it by the time the fight happens 24 hours later. Of course, there is a detailed science to cutting weight for a fight so that you can still achieve peak performance on the night of the fight. The human body is truly an amazing machine.
By the time I woke up, everyone (Anderson Silva, Matt Hughes, Demian Maia, Renzo Gracie, Frankie Edgar, Ricardo Almeida, Rafael Gordinho, Roberto Gordo, etc.) was already by the swimming pool, frolicking under the strong Arabian sun in distinct separate groups. The funny thing about the week before a big fight is that there is a lot of dead time. It's a little like vacation, except everyone is a little grumpy and tense because they are tightly managing their weight and thinking about the fight. Last week, Dos Anjos weighed 80 kilos. He is supposed to drop 10 kilos by this coming Friday for the official weigh-ins. The weight limit for his fight is 70.5 kilos. Most professional fighters cut tremendous weight for the weigh-ins and then regain a bulk of it by the time the fight happens 24 hours later. Of course, there is a detailed science to cutting weight for a fight so that you can still achieve peak performance on the night of the fight. The human body is truly an amazing machine.
Later in the afternoon, I went downstairs for a light snack with Dos Anjos and Renzo. Rafael just nibbled on a very small - and I mean very small - portion of chicken breast. His weight was 76 kilos. So we were on target for him to weigh 70.5 kilos on Friday. We walked through the game plan and strategy again for the fight. Terry Etim is a world-class fighter and it is going to be a war. Rafael has been super focused, confident, and serious. Meanwhile, Renzo was super relaxed as always. He started telling us some funny stories and we were all laughing our butts off. UFC welterweight fighter Ricardo Almeida also joined us in the discussion. Ricardo will be cornering both Renzo and Frankie at UFC 112. Of course, the conversation did turn serious when we discussed Renzo's game plan for his fight with Matt Hughes, a former UFC World Champion. It is going to be a super tough fight. After hanging out with Dos Anjos, Renzo, and Ricardo, I went to the gym for a quick workout. Dos Anjos went to get a full body massage at the spa.
At 9pm, Dos Anjos came to my room to pick me up for our training session. Gordinho was down with a fever and was sleeping it off. We wanted to simulate the outdoor conditions of UFC 112. It is the first time that the UFC would be held in an outdoor arena in the fresh air. So Dos Anjos and I walked out of the hotel to train outside in a park. The desert is blistering hot during the day, but it is quite cool at night. We started off with a 10 minute jog to warm up. We started off with 2 rounds of boxing, drilling special combinations and technique that are customized to his opponent for this fight. Then we did another 2 rounds of Muay Thai. All rounds were 5 minutes a piece at 100% cardio output. Afterwards, we talked about Terry Etim's game and went through all the details of the game plan again. His weight was 74.5 kilos. Dos Anjos' confidence has been super high because he has had a phenomenal training camp at Evolve MMA. His cardio is unbelievable and his MMA game is razor sharp."
At 9pm, Dos Anjos came to my room to pick me up for our training session. Gordinho was down with a fever and was sleeping it off. We wanted to simulate the outdoor conditions of UFC 112. It is the first time that the UFC would be held in an outdoor arena in the fresh air. So Dos Anjos and I walked out of the hotel to train outside in a park. The desert is blistering hot during the day, but it is quite cool at night. We started off with a 10 minute jog to warm up. We started off with 2 rounds of boxing, drilling special combinations and technique that are customized to his opponent for this fight. Then we did another 2 rounds of Muay Thai. All rounds were 5 minutes a piece at 100% cardio output. Afterwards, we talked about Terry Etim's game and went through all the details of the game plan again. His weight was 74.5 kilos. Dos Anjos' confidence has been super high because he has had a phenomenal training camp at Evolve MMA. His cardio is unbelievable and his MMA game is razor sharp."
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