Rousimar Palhares

[FUZO]

TweetRousimar Palhares – For Rousimar Palhares, this was supposed to be the test. Sure, he had beaten 16 of his previous 17 foes, cleaning out much the Brazilian middleweight







scene in the process, but as far as UFC fans were concerned, the native of the small town of Dores Do Indaia – population 13,396 – could have been fighting guys from Mars.

This was the UFC, and until Palhares beat a ‘name’ from the United States like his UFC 84 opponent Ivan Salaverry, what happened before was just window dressing. Now we were going to see what this guy with the impressive credentials would do when the heat was on.

It only took him two minutes and 36 seconds. In less than a round, Palhares had not only won his UFC debut via submission by armbarring Salaverry, he did it in a fashion that made you take a deep breath before saying ‘damnnnn, that guy’s got some ground game,’ and ‘when is he fighting again?’

“It was my first fight in the UFC, and everything worked better than I thought,” said Palhares through trainer, translator, and former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante. “It was great for my career, and an important step.”

He’s being modest. What Palhares did in effect with just one fight in the Octagon was put all the 185-pounders in the UFC on notice that there’s a new force to be reckoned with in the division, someone whose ground attack compares favorably to anyone in the game today. As for the UFC jitters that have crippled the performances of fighters a lot more experienced than him, Palhares’ performance kinda shot that theory to pieces, even though he admits to some nerves before the opening bell.

“I was a little bit anxious and excited before the fight, but I think it is normal, and it made me smarter during the fight,” he said. “I like to be like that, and in combination with my confidence, it is perfect. Being in shape, confident and a little bit anxious and excited are the perfect combination in my opinion to do a good job.”

The win over Salaverry upped Palhares’ record to 17-1 as a pro, and also garnered him a post-fight bonus for ‘Submission of The Night’ and a return to the Octagon a week from today at UFC 88 against former two-division PRIDE champion Dan Henderson. It was also the fulfillment of a dream that began for Palhares back in 1994 when he saw UFC 3 for the first time.

“I loved what I saw in UFC 3, and I got crazy with that,” he said. “I decided that it was what I wanted to be, a fighter.”

His family wasn’t too thrilled when they heard that from the teenager, especially since life was tough enough when you worked a conventional job in Dores Do Indaia.

“I come from a very humble and poor family from a small city inside Brazil,” Palhares explains. “At the beginning, they didn't understand that I wanted to be fighter and what it was, because we had difficulties to even get food for all my family. But later, they realized that it was a serious job that I work hard at, and then they started to support me.”

By the time he was 19, Palhares – a skilled grappler – had started fighting in mixed martial arts events in Brazil. He fought and won seven times in small events and his reputation started to grow. Soon after, everything changed forever when he walked into the Brazilian Top Team gym.

“Brazilian Top Team changed my life,” said Palhares. “After I arrived here, everything started to work very well in my life and in my career. I have a lot of friends inside the team that have been pushing me to the top, always believing me and helping me in everything. I could learn and improve my skills at BTT, learning not only jiu-jitsu but martial arts in general.”

Palhares’ affiliation with BTT, which houses MMA stars such as Bustamante and Ricardo Arona, allowed him to get into bigger shows against better competition in Brazil, and he didn’t disappoint, submitting the likes of Flavio Luiz Moura, Fabio Negao, and PRIDE vet Daniel Acacio. All three wins came via leglock, and this streak of excellence garnered the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt an invitation to the UFC, where he dazzled with his win over Salaverry. It was the type of fight that you show to your skeptical buddies when they say they don’t want
to see any groundwork in a fight. Yet despite his ground acumen, Palhares chalks his success up to good ol’ fashioned hard work.

“I think I have a strong mind, and that makes me work hard trying to reach my dreams,” he said when asked what separates him from the average fighter. “I am a worker, I have been working hard everyday, and studying a lot of positions and submissions.”

Palhares will need all his wares to beat Henderson, one of the game’s superstars and a fighter intent on stopping a two-fight losing streak at the Brazilian’s expense. Not surprisingly though, ‘Toquinho’ has a lot of respect for his opponent.

“He is a great fighter, and he will demand a lot of attention from me during the fight,” said Palhares, who has the perfect man in the corner on September 6th, considering that Bustamante fought Henderson twice in PRIDE, albeit in losing efforts.

“He (Bustamante) has been teaching me and telling me how to fight against him (Henderson),” said Palhares. “He’s telling me which strategy I have to use, and what I need to improve in my game to minimize the risks during the fight. I can say that I am totally confident in my game and strategy for this fight.”

And he’s excited for it, especially since a win over someone with the reputation of Henderson can put him on the fast track to big things at 185 pounds.

“It would be a huge step in my career,” said Palhares. “If it (a win) happens, it will make it easier for me to have a chance to fight for the belt. I can't wait for the time to step in the Octagon for this fight.”

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking – he’s not ready for middleweight boss Anderson Silva yet. And in his defense, Palhares says that he’s “not in a hurry” for a title shot. But he does have his eye on the belt.

“I know that it (a title shot) depends on how my performances will be in my next fights,” said Palhares. “But I think he (Silva) is great fighter, and he looks to be a humble person. I will think about his weaknesses when and if I have the chance to fight him.”

If Palhares does eventually get a shot at Silva and then goes on to win the title, it will be the culmination of a professional journey that began almost a decade ago. But when it comes to the personal side of things, Rousimar Palhares already hit the top when the money from his win over Salaverry bought his mother a house.

Everything from here on out is just gravy.

[tn94z]

TweetI have watched Palharres a few times and I have said it before, if he gets by Dan, then Silva better watch out. Palharres is a big strong guy and has some of the quickest submissions I have ever seen. There is a video of him rolling with two guys at one time. His standup looks okay, but he seems to be able to take a punch. This fight is no joke for Dan...he better bring his A game.

[FUZO]

TweetTHIS GUY JUST MIGHT GIVE SILVA A RUN FOR HIS MONEY

[jipped genes]

Tweethe is a monster. he is a huge MW. i wanna see how he does tonight before i buy the hype