Brazilian Renato Sobral, known as “Babalu”, is a tournament veteran with several fights in a single night. He has already competed in several events in the format, fighting against names like Maurício “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson. But this time, the 37-year-old athlete says he is facing one of his biggest challenges: the Bellator light heavyweight tournament, which begins on January 17th.
The Bellator tournament has a different format than usual. The first phase begins at Bellator 85, when Sobral faces Mikhail Zayats. If he wins, there is a break and the next fight, against the winner of the fight between Jacob Noe and Seth Petruzelli, takes place at least one month apart. When asked about the new format, “Babalú” was succinct. “A tournament like this… It’s something new for me,” said the 37-year-old fighter.
Renato “Babalú” Sobral has already participated in several MMA events and is one of the pioneering Brazilians in the UFC, having even challenged for the organization's light heavyweight belt – in a fight he ended up losing to Chuck Liddell. However, he ended up being fired from the organization after remaining in the chokehold with which he submitted North American David Heath at UFC 74.
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