Brawlin’ Brazilians: People You Should Watch

Picking up the sport of MMA as a viewer is kind of tough to do. Before you know which fighters you like, sometimes you have to snore through matches where nothing happens. Here are some notable Brazilian fighters that will keep you on the edge of your seat:

Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos

If you really look at how Fabricio Werdum's head moves in Junior Dos Santos's UFC debut, it's clear that the very last thing he saw before getting knocked out was the cruise missle of a right uppercut that Junior Dos Santos launched towards his face. Sometimes I lie awake at night, just staring at the ceiling and wondering what Werdum's last thoughts were.

Dos Santos's path to the UFC Heavyweight Championship fight next month was paved on straight pineboxing guys with his boxing. Dude has serious fists.

Fights to watch: Gabriel Gonzaga, Gilbert Yvel, Stefan Struve.

Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

When "Big Nog" was eleven years old, he was essentially bisected by a truck. He shrugged it off and became the PRIDE heavyweight champion, and later, the UFC heavyweight champion (Sydney Morning Herald). For years, Nogueira's fighting style was the ancient art of, "get beat up until you can submit your opponent via Hail Mary-fu." He took Fedor to decision, twice, and threw an armbar on former football player Bob Sapp after being powerbombed into the mat.

Last month he was the heavy underdog when he fought former Golden Gloves champion and NFL football player Brendan Schaub (Fowlkes), as Nogueira had been knocked out in two of his last three fights and Schaub had finished three in a row by violent stoppage. The bar I was in exploded when Nogueira threw a sick ten-punch combination and put away the young lion.

Fights to watch: Randy Couture, Bob Sapp.

Anderson Silva: 



Without question, the best fighter alive. Every time he walks into the cage we watch real greatness unfold. I cannot say enough good things about him, his striking, reflexes, speed, and creativity are excellent.

He even did a dance routine choreographed to a Justin Bieber song, which, in a weird way, makes me like both guys more. We live in a world where teen pop sensation Justin Bieber and pound-for-pound emperor Anderson Silva are buddies. Is this real life?

Jose Aldo

Trying to punch a professional fighter is a lot like trying to kill a fly with a newspaper: they move around a lot and taunt you when you miss. Now, try knocking out a professional fighter in less than ten seconds, in mid-air, using just your knees. If you succeeded, you just might be Jose Aldo fighting Cub Swanson in the now-defunct WEC.

But probably not. You'd also have to have a twelve fight winning streak against the best featherweight fighters in the world, as well as a UFC championship under your belt.

Fights to watch: Mike Brown, Mark Hominick, Cub Swanson.



Sources:


"Horrific accident puts Nogueira's challenge in perspective." Sydney Morning Herald. 10 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horrific-accident-puts-nogueiras-challenge-in-perspective-20100129-n3y2.html>.


Zeus. "Watch Anderson Silva Perform a Justin Bieber Routine Complete with Backup Dancers." MiddleEasy.com. 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <http://middleeasy.com/index.php?option=com_content>.