Big names in fighting: remember Brazil's combat stars

Brazil may be the country of football, but there has never been a lack of great representatives of martial arts here. From classic boxing to modern MMA, Brazilians have always done well in the rings, octagons and arenas of the world.

It's been a few years since the UFC became the most important fight organization, at least in terms of popularity and prestige. Of course, there is no centuries-old boxing tradition, but the MMA-affiliated organization has already surpassed even the sport of which it is a part in terms of media.

Of the combat sports, in fact, none receives more attention from bettors than MMA as a whole. In sports betting houses like 888 online casinos and betting.

In terms of Brazil, of course, it is impossible to talk about the popularity of MMA and UFC without talking about Anderson Silva, Brazil's greatest fighter in recent years, even surpassing contemporary Acelino “Popó” Freitas. Even retired, “The Spider” remains largely the image of the struggle in Brazil.

Of course, it is not possible to ignore giants the size of José Aldo, Amanda nunes and so many others, so nothing more fair than remembering some of the great names in these and other categories of combat sports.

MMA

Nothing fairer than starting with the most popular fighting sport of all at the moment. Even though it is not as old as boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (the full name of the acronym in English, Mixed Martial Arts) get most of the media attention today.

Created in 1993 with the now legendary UFC1 (Royce gracie vs. Gerard Gordeau), the category gained strength and today represents the main type of MMA, already approaching 300 editions of the event. In addition to the aforementioned Royce (yes, the first UFC winner was Brazilian!), it is worth mentioning:

Anderson Silva: Anderson “Spider” Silva’s recently failed career may not have ended as he would have liked, and the last few years have, in fact, been complicated, but the fact is that the São Paulo native was largely responsible for MMA no longer being considered a niche and become a sport worthy of attention – after all, it was during a Silva fight that Galvão Bueno risked narrating martial arts.

José Aldo: Few Brazilian fighters of any category have won a film for themselves. The legendary Éder Jofre was one of them, and José Aldo is another – which is no small feat. Two-time UFC champion, José Aldo He is those inspiring figures, as well as being a top-notch boxer.

Amanda nunes: We don't even need to talk about how combat sports are male dominated. It is not appropriate here to politicize the issue, but it is yet another reason to praise efforts such as Amanda nunes, the first woman in MMA history to win a double belt – she already held the Bantamweight title when she also won the Featherweight belt.

Victor Belfort: Having beaten big names and without fear of taking risks in various types of fighting within MMA, Vítor Belfort earned the respect and admiration of many, in Brazil and abroad, for his two UFC titles (Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight ). “The Phenom” undoubtedly deserves the nickname (“The Phenomenon”) and the glory.

Jessica “Bate-Estaca” Andrade: Pioneer among women, Jessica Stacker She was the first Brazilian woman to compete in the UFC, and that says a lot about the respect she deserves and inspires. She is one of the biggest Brazilian names in MMA, not just among women, but among everyone, and all fans are keeping their eyes open on the Paraná native's confrontation with Valentina Shevchenko, valid by UFC 261.

Boxing

Although very old, Boxing only officially arrived in Brazil in mid-1910, with Italian and German immigrants. Since then, however, great legends of the sport have emerged, who deserve to be remembered and revered. Let's look at some:

Eder Jofre: Being considered the best boxer of the 1960s, ahead of Muhammad Ali, is not for everyone, and the Golden Chicken got just that recognition. With a legendary career of 75 victories and only two defeats (both contested), Éder Jofre was and will forever be, perhaps, the biggest name in Brazilian boxing.

Acelino “Popó” Freitas: A big name in boxing in the 1990s and 2000s, Popó from Bahia is one of the most famous boxers in Brazil, and deservedly so, as he accumulated four titles in the two categories he used to compete in (Super Featherweight and Lightweight), with a record of 41 victories and only two defeats.

Adilson Maguila Rodrigues: Although the figure is caricatured, behind Maguila's charisma there was always a great fighter. His record of 77 victories – 65 of which were by knockout – does not allow for lying. A true heavyweight legend, Maguila deserves the respect he has earned throughout a glittering career.

Robson Conceição: Perhaps the best Brazilian boxer today, Robson Conceição went down in history for achieving what Esquiva Falcão and so many other great boxers before him were unable to achieve: winning the Olympic gold medal for Brazil. As fate would have it, the achievement was precisely at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016.