#89 Ricardo Almeida, Rener Gracie, and Fernando “Margarida”
October 21, 2007
Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed UFC 77 yesterday. Here’s what we’ve got in store for you on this week’s episode of The FightWorks Podcast, which meets the Intergalactic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Empire’s criteria for “totally sweet”:
A conversation with Ricardo Almeida, black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie. He began competing in mixed martial arts in 2000 and then hung up his gloves in 2004 to concentrate on other obligations. Almeida, who holds an MMA record of 8-2-0 and has submitted fighters like Dean Lister and Josh Barnett in submission grappling competitions, has been picked up by the UFC and will make his return to action in early 2008. Learn more about the man who received offer letters from all the big MMA promoters after announcing a desire to fight again this fall.
Our second interview is a brief one with Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt champion Fernando Pontes, better known as Margarida. We sit down with Margarida for 5 minutes and get to know what he’s up to. Die-hard BJJ junkies will know him for medaling in the world championships in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005. He also was the only person to make it look - albeit briefly - like the indomitable Roger Gracie could be stopped on his way to winning the absolute division of the 2007 BJJ World Championships.
Lastly, we’ll have a lengthy conversation with Rener Gracie who discusses a new offering from the Gracie Academy in Torrance that was announced on Tuesday by email which stated, “Become an official Gracie Family Representative - Get Certified to Teach in 2 Weeks - No Previous Grappling Experience - Turn your school into a Certified Gracie Combatives Training Center”. He’ll also bring us up to speed on the MMA careers of his brother Ralek Gracie and Ryron Gracie.
Ricardo Almeida and Carlos Gracie Jr.
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Transcription of Margarida Interview:
Caleb: Okay everybody this is Caleb with The FightWorks Podcast and we are here with Fernando “Margarida” Pontes. How are you doing Margarida?
Margarida: Great. How about yourself?
Caleb: I am doing great, thank you. You just completed a seminar here at Fabio Santos’ academy, and I thought we would introduce you to some of the listeners out there around the world who don’t know you yet. If you could tell a little bit about your background, like where you started training and when that would be a great start.
Margarida: I am from Brazil. I started training in Sao Paulo when I was eleven years old with Fabio Gurgel and Fernando Yamasaki. And then after that I was going to check every gym in my city. I went to Rio. I was going there for ten years, and Florianopolis. And now I just came back to the United States.
Caleb: Where were you training in Rio? Was there any one place?
Margarida: Brazilian Top Team, Paulo Carullo, I trained in Rocinha with my friends, Flamengo judo, with Carlson Gracie under Ricardo Arona, Paulo Filho, Minotauro…
Caleb: So tell people where your nickname came from. What does it mean?
Margarida: My nicknames comes from Fabio, because when I was young I was sparring all the time with big guys, so I cried all the time. So he gave me a crying name, he gave me Margarida. Like a person who cries, you know?
Caleb: Somebody who cries a lot?
Margarida: Yeah somebody who cries a lot. So, after that, I be strong, I don’t cry anymore (laughs). I try to beat everyone up and get my way.
Caleb: Well I think you do beat up a lot of people. Tell us some of the bigger titles that you have won, some of the bigger championships.
Margarida: You know, national champion three times in my weight class, the open division. I’m world champion three times too, in my weight class and open division… ten times state champion. I mean i have a lot of titles.
Caleb: That’s cool. Well what have you been doing recently? What are your plans now?
Margarida: I did my first MMA fight with Jorge “Macaco” Patino.
Caleb: Where was that?
Margarida: It was in Sao Paulo, at the end of last year. It was good. I am thinking about fighting more, you know? I just need fair money, then I will get in [and fight].
Caleb: Is that your focus right now? To turn to MMA?
Margarida: No my focus is MMA and to keep doing my essence you know, it’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu. And, to be happy bro.
Caleb: That’s a good goal.Talk real quickly about the mundials. Tell us how that went for you because that was a very exciting match with Roger Gracie.
Margarida: Oh yeah, he is phenomenal. And he taps [his opponents in] all his fights. He makes everyone look… under him, you know? He makes everyone look like one belt less [than they are]. I did pretty much a good fight. I hope that next year I am better. You know, in better shape, and let’s see you know, he’s a tough fighter. Him, Jacare, Braulio Estima, Demian Maia… [there are] a lot of guys [who are] very good. So it will be a good war.
Caleb: Well they just announced that it is going to be in Los Angeles again next year, so that’s cool, [and] we’ll see you then.
Margarida: Oh yeah. For sure. I hope [so].
Caleb: Thank you Margarida.
Margarida: Thank you very much.
Quickfire with TUF 6 Contestant John Kolosci
October 9, 2007
FightWorks Podcast contributor Bruce Hoyer brings us this profile of John Kolosci, who’s is a contestant on the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV.
How did you get started in MMA?
I started training about 41/2 years ago. I was really just looking for a way to expend my “energy”, as I was getting into stupid street fights too often (a problem since childhood). I found a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school and it did the trick by keeping me busy, motivated and exhausted. Once I started training there and hanging around this group of people, MMA was inevitable. I met a couple guys (Wisniewski brothers) that owned a MMA gym, started training there and it just snowballed from that point on. I never really expected to fight outside of my hometown on smaller shows, but one thing led to another and here I am. I’m VERY competitive, athletic and I love to fight, so I guess it was just a matter of time (along with tons of hard work) before I found myself in the UFC. I’m absolutely ecstatic to be fighting for them!
What is your background in?
As much as I hate to admit this, I have always just been a street brawler. I do have a Black Belt in Shotokan, but I do not believe it’s ports over into MMA very well, except for maybe the kicks. I’ve trained exclusively with Duneland Vale-Tudo for the past 4 1/2 years and now I’m moving around a bit and training at Gilbert Grappling for Wrestling/Submissions and I’m working with Mike Davis & Montell Griffin, at Celtic Boxing, for my stand-up. But, my strength has been in wrestling and ground-n-pound.
What was or is your job currently?
I’m currently a Supervisor in Enterprise Computing Services (Microsoft & Citrix Server Team) at BlueCross/BlueShield of IL. Prior to that, I was a Senior Systems Engineer for about 10 years at multiple companies. I have an Associates Degree in Computer Networking. I also have multiple technical certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and CompTIA Network+ & A+ certifications.
When you were told that you made the show what did you first?
Screamed like a little girl:-) Just kidding, I called my fiance right away and let her know. It was quite exciting/nerve-racking as it was nothing but waiting, as the list of guys continued to get cut and you would sit there and wonder if you’d make the next cut.
Who do you look up to in MMA and why?
Anyone that is ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight class. That group of guys have worked VERY HARD to make it into that elite list and every single one of them are at a different level than those below. I respect that type of hard work, dedication and skill level very much. Obviously, anyone that is or has been a World Champion also impresses the hell out of me!
What does being an Ultimate Fighter mean to you?
Well, previously being an Ultimate Fighter just meant reaching goals in a sport that I truly enjoyed. First it was just winning and fighting on local shows. Once I accomplished that I started fighting on bigger shows and winning as well. Then, at some point you start to imagine fighting for the UFC (everyone wants to, if they say they don’t, they are lying). Now that I’m an Ultimate Fighter in the UFC, it means the world to me. It’s extremely tough to work a full time job and compete at this level, but I’m doing it. Most guys are doing this full time and fitting in training is no problem for them. With my schedule, I am one busy man. So, to me it’s just hard work and dedication to do something you love and to do your best to excel at it. In my case, it’s Ultimate Fighting. I’m just enjoying life and riding this wave…
My busy schedule: I wake up at 5am and go to the gym to lift weights (explosive strength training), do plyometrics and cardiovascular training. From there, I go to work for about 10 hours. When I get off work, I head to the gym to train MMA (wrestling, boxing, jiu jitsu & muay thai). I’m in bed by 9:30pm - 10:00pm, wake up and start all over!
Last question if you could be anything else other than a fighter what would you do?
I’d like to be a lottery winner and just travel the world:-) I love traveling and my fiance and I do a lot of it. Otherwise, I’m doing it. I work in management for Information Technology and I really love what I do. I’ve been working with technology for over 10 years and it’s a big part of my life. I work for a great company with great bosses and plenty of benefits.
Quickfire with TUF 6 Contestant Paul Georgieff
October 8, 2007
FightWorks Podcast contributor Bruce Hoyer brings us this profile of Paul Georgieff, a contestant on the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV.
How did you get started in MMA?
It was my senior year in high school, and every student was require do a “senior project” of our choice for a month. I chose to work at an investment firm and train at a Judo club. I stuck with the Judo, which quickly lead me to BJJ. At this point, I was going to school at the University of Vermont and training with the school’s BBJ and Judo clubs. I completely fell in love with both sports and found myself training every day, often going to back to back Judo and BJJ classes. I started training at Team Bison in 2004 with no intention of fighting, just looking for more people to roll with. Everyone at Bison was fighting, so I ended up trying it out that summer.
What is your background in?
See previous question.
What was or is your job currently?
I work as a researcher for the University of Wisconsin’s structural engineering department. I am currently writing my thesis entitled “Experimental and Analytical Investigation of Steel Free Concrete Bridge Decks Constructed with External Tie Bars”.
When you were told that you made the show what did you first?
I was told that I was going to be on TUF6 just days before filming started. They really didn’t give me much time to get my things in order. The first thing I did was to call my parents and tell them that I would not be joining the on the family trip to Prague, then I started packing.
Who do you look up to in MMA and why?
The two fighters that I look up to most in MMA are George St. Pierre and Randy Couture. GSP’s remarkable because he’s such a well rounded fighter and a hard worker, plus he’s a good person. Randy’s just really inspiring. I hope I’m achieving such great things at his age.
What does being an Ultimate Fighter mean to you?
Being on TUF6 is an opportunity of a life time for me. I got to train with the best in the game and fight in front of millions of people, surely not your typical summer vacation.
Last question if you could be anything else other than a fighter what would you do?
If I could be anything else other than an MMA fighter, I’d be a pro mountain biker. I raced bikes all through collage and absolutely loved it.
#87 Ryan Jensen, Kyle Maynard, and the Story Behind Grapplers Quest in Philadelphia
October 7, 2007
After taking a week of for some sorely-needed rest and relaxation, The FightWorks Podcast returns with a full head of steam! This week on the show we hear from UFC fighter Ryan Jensen, who will be taking on Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar Demian Maia on October 20th at UFC 77: Hostile Territory. Jensen lost in his recent UFC debut to Thales Leites by armbar and we will hear how he plans on preventing that from happening again.
Kyle Maynard has caught the attention of many in 2007. Maynard is a congenital amputee. He has no legs, and his arms stop at the elbow. Every time you hear his name mentioned, the word “inspirational” appears shortly thereafter, as Maynard has competed in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is making an effort to compete in mixed martial arts. The Georgia State Athletic Commission has denied him permission and he’s looking elsewhere to follow his dream of competing in MMA.
We’ll also hear from Brian Cimins, the president of the New Jersey-based BJJ and grappling tournament promotion Grapplers Quest. Grapplers Quest. As we reported on Friday, Grapplers Quest recently learned that their event planned for November in Philadelphia was cancelled as MMA is not permitted in the state of Pennsylvania currently. Despite there having been other such competitions in the state as recently as this year, the commission felt that Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling, because they make use of submission holds, fall into the same category as mixed martial arts and ruled that the Grapplers Quest event was not permitted. Although Grapplers Quest has now secured a new site across the border in New Jersey, there are some curious details about why this event was cancelled. Listen in to find out the story!
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#86 Luis Heredia and Richie Hightower Interviews
September 23, 2007
Our feature interview this week is with Rickson Gracie black belt Luis “Limao” Heredia. As a purple belt, Heredia accompanied Rickson when he left Brazil to come to the United States and Heredia never looked back. Having trained alongside the Gracie brothers in the original garage in Los Angeles when they arrived, Heredia has made the move to Hawaii and now has a thriving school called Maui Jiu-jitsu. We all know about the many benefits of Brazilian jiu-jitsu but I think you’ll agree that not many are as enthusiastic as Heredia about the positive rewards that BJJ has brought him. Luis tells us his story, including discussing what BJJ was like in the early days in Rio de Janeiro. Oh, and he also seems to believe that Rickson will be fighting in Japan soon, lending support to our story that Rickson plans to fight on New Years Eve.
Also in this episode, FightWorks Podcast correspondent Bruce Hoyer has a ten minute chat with Richie Hightower, who’s a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 which began on SpikeTV on Wedesday. Hightower discusses his own origins in mixed martial arts, including his fight to bring his weight down from an all time high of 265 pounds. Hightower also shares information about where we’re likely to see his friend Ricco Rodriguez appear on television soon.
Luis Heredia
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Brandon Vera Looking for Training Partner
September 7, 2007
Lloyd Irvin, Brandon Vera’s trainer sent out the following note yesterday looking for assistance in preparing Vera for his upcoming fight against Tim Sylvia. The two meet in the octagon at the upcoming UFC 77: Hostile Territory.
I’m looking for a few extra pad holders for brandon vera’s training camp. I usually hold for Brandon if Rob’s not holding but because of my neck injury I can’t hold as of the moment.
I just want to be safe and have a couple extra full time pad holders.
We have a fight in the UFC on October 20, 2007 and I’m looking for a skilled pad holder to come to Maryland. Must be able to hold for a heavyweight.
If interested please reply to this with your contact information, experience and background.
I will contact you asap to take care of your travel.
Lloyd Irvin
Lloyd Irvin’s Martial Arts Academy
I’m sure Lloyd’s already gotten a ton of responses, but if you’d like to assist Vera in his preparation, you can reach Lloyd at grapplingcoach AT thegrapplingblueprint DOT com .
#83 Stephan Kesting Interview
September 2, 2007
This week on The FightWorks Podcast we speak with a Canadian martial arts pioneer, Stephan Kesting. Kesting is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under 6th degree black belt Marcus Soares and known for his instruction. Further, he has run a popular website for ground fighting called GrappleArts since 2002. We’ll learn a little about Kesting, his approach to martial arts instruction and learning, and experience with veteran MMA fighter Erik Paulson.
Our installment of semi-regular feature The Blackbelt Corner this week comes from UFC fighter Kurt Pellegrino, who just fought Joe Stevenson in UFC 74: Respect!
Stephan Kesting
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#77 Jason Lambert and Kid Peligro
July 22, 2007
For our feature interview this week on the FightWorks Podcast we headed out and travelled up to the North County Fight Club in Carlsbad, California to sit down with UFC fighter Jason Lambert, who defeated Renato “Babalu” Sobral in his last UFC appearance and recently signed a contract to fight against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 76. Lambert discusses what it’s like competing against taller opponents, his thoughts on the Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans fight, his hobby when he’s not fighting, and much more.
The topic of performance enhancing drugs has been a source of major controversy in 2007, culminating in last week’s revelation that both Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk tested positive for steroids, and word from MMA icon Royce Gracie that he will not challenge the California State Athletic Commission’s test results showing that he also used steroids. Prominent authors around the web have sounded off on the matter, from Sherdog’s Josh Gross, FightOpinion’s Zach Arnold, to No Holds Barred’s Eddie Goldman.
Here at the FightWorks Podcast, we sit down with Kid Peligro and discuss the trend. Kid has written four books alongside Royce Gracie and gives us his thoughts on the allegations against Royce. In addition to getting Kid’s thoughts on the rise of steroid use in MMA, we discuss its prevalence in submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan also joins us and briefs us on nandrolone, which appears to be a commonly abused steroid based on recent test results.
Jason Lambert
Side note - if you’re interested in watching video of Jason’s picks for UFC 74, you can check them out by clicking here.
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WKA North American Combat Sports Championships to Feature Special Guests
July 5, 2007
The WKA sent out this information recently. If you’re in the Richmond area you may want to check this one out…
UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk and UFC Champion/Ultimate 5 coach Jens Pulver are scheduled to attend the WKA North American Combat Sports Championships and Combat Sports Challenge 21 (CSC 21) evening Pro Fight Show. Both Sherk and Pulver will hold an MMA seminar on Friday, July 13, 2007 prior to day one of the two-day amateur tournament, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday July 14-15, 2007. Both will also be special guests at the pro fight show on Saturday evening.
That same weekend US Grappling will be holding a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling tournament as well in the same venue. Competitors get free admission to the evening’s MMA fights. Should be a fun weekend!
Phil Baroni in the UFC?
June 8, 2007
Yesterday there was a conference call held for the press to speak with Phil Baroni and Frank Shamrock regarding their upcoming fight June 22 in San Jose at Strikeforce . When a reporter asked Phil Baroni “if you beat Frank, or knock him out, will that give you another ticket back to the UFC?”, Phil’s response was:
Phil Baroni
First of all, I want to classify, I can go to the UFC any time I want. I have an open invitation back. Look at the guys fighting in the UFC. There is a bunch of bums. TV show reality star rejects and everything else. I am more than good enough to get to fight in the UFC. I am more than good enough to wear that middleweight title. I left because I had to go and fight in the Grand Prix, which I did. There is an open opportunity to come back and fight for the title after I beat Frank Shamrock. It is not to come back to the UFC. I can say I want to go in the UFC tomorrow. (Dana White) is a friend of mine. Not only is he a friend of mine, he is a businessman, and not to have me fight on the card would be retarded. Why wouldn’t you want me to fight on your show? Every one of my fights is exciting. I bring more to the table than anybody. As far as Frank Shamrock, I have to adjust one thing he keeps saying (that) he is an artist, this and that. Well after I #**##@####**## knock you out, Frank, I will buy you a box of crayons and a coloring book, and you can go be a #**##@####**## artist. But this is not a #**##@####**## artist, and this is not going to be a martial arts exhibition, #**##@####**##. This is going to be a #**##@####**## fight. Do you get it? I am not here to #**##@####**## do the #**##@####**##… I do not know what the #**##@####**## this dude is talking about martial arts. I am a #**##@####**## fighter. I have been a fighter since the day I was born. You are going to get in a fight. There is going to be a fight. I am going to take your #**##@####**## head off. I am going to pound you the #**##@####**## out. This is not a #**##@####**## … I do not know. I do not know what he is talking about martial artist and paint the picture, this is what I do. If this is what you do, you do it. I have been doing it. This is what I have been doing. I do it in the street, I do it in the ring, I have been doing it my whole life. I am a #**##@####**## fighter. I do not know what a #**##@####**## martial artist is, but man, this #**##@####**## guy is just a retard. He is in #**##@####**## la-la land, you know? I do not know where the #**##@####**## he is from. I am a #**##@####**## fighter, you know? Man, I do not get this cat. You are in for a rude awakening, dude. You are in for a rude awakening. You are going to get #**##@####**## up.
Frank Shamrock’s curt response:
Frank Shamrock
That is why they call him the “New York Bad Ass.’’
So Phil is doing his part in pre-fight theatrics for sure.
The card is looking strong at this point, with fighters Joey Villasenor, Tony Fryklund, Cung Le, Murilo Rua, Paul Buentello and others. We won’t know till afterwards, but at the moment it appears that Strikeforce is how one should build a competitor to the UFC and K-1, based on their most recent Dynamite!! USA show, is how not to compete with the UFC (assuming that is their intention).
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