Participants meet Wand and Belfort at TUF Brasil 1. Photo: Disclosure
A TUF season has a maximum of two champions. Furthermore, not all fighters gain prominence during the program or are successful if they sign with the UFC. Some time after the end of the reality show, or even a possible link with Ultimate, the fighters are already beginning to replan their careers and redefine their goals.
Many former TUF participants end up joining the national MMA circuit, where they are usually big draws for events. Others still find space in international organizations – in the United States, Europe or Japan. Several names among the 32 athletes who participated in the two now-ended editions of TUF are moving away from the public spotlight, but remain fully active.
In the last part of the series of special reports from SUPER FIGHTS sobre or The Ultimate Fighter, former participants of the program talk about the current stage of their careers and project their future in sport.
Fulfilling his dream of fighting in Japan, Jambo is already thinking about retirement
Jambo with Minotauro, Cigano and Toquinho after Team Nogueira training. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook
Thiago Jambo always dreamed of fighting in Japan. The 33-year-old from Alagoas revealed that performing in Eastern events was a more intense desire than even reaching the UFC. After his stint on TUF Brasil 2, in 2013, Jambo had a fight on the national circuit and got it right with the Pancrase, one of the oldest and most traditional organizations on the planet. About to have his second fight at the event (against Akihiro Murayama, on March 31st), Thiago already sees himself as an accomplished professional and no longer places an agreement with Ultimate as his biggest priority.
“If I can get into the UFC, great. But I don't think about it. If it happens, great. If not, I should just do a few more fights and that's enough for me. I've been fighting MMA professionally for ten years, I fight in a period of three to six months between one fight and the next. It's complicated, because when you fight, that money you received goes to pay your bills for the past few months, while you were preparing. A national event pays an average of R$5 to R$10, if you take into account rent, food, equipment and supplements (the last two if the athlete does not have sponsorship), this becomes even more difficult. Besides, I'm from Maceió and every time I have a fight, I spend it on tickets to Rio de Janeiro. So, what does it look like when you get injured? The bills don't stop arriving, right? So, even though I love fighting, today I think about having financial peace of mind, being closer to my family and being more present in their lives”, he said.
Vina dreams of returning to the UFC and wants to have eight fights in 2014
M. Vina (photo) had three fights in the UFC, with two losses and one victory. Photo: Disclosure
After leaving the first edition of TUF Brasil, Curitiba native Marcos Vinícius “Vina” debuted at UFC 147, the event that hosted the finals of the reality show. Vina overcame Wagner Galeto on the night and secured himself in the organization. However, after his first triumph in the octagon, Vina he had two consecutive defeats, and not even two consecutive changes of category – to bantamweight and then to flyweight – made him continue in Ultimate. After a fight at the Rebel FC event, in Singapore, Marcos Vinícius was defeated by Anderson Berinja in the Curitiba stage of the Talent Circuit, on his return to the national scene. Despite the series of negative results, Vina He still longs to return to the UFC and, to do so, he will have seven more fights throughout 2014.
“I had a setback now (on February 22) because of a fatality that happened during the fight. But that is already in the past. I have seven more fights scheduled until the end of the year. And so we go. Unfortunately, I didn't start the year well. But I believe this will be the year of my glory. I hope to return to the international scene and resume a successful trajectory in my career. I would really like to return to the UFC, but if I don't, there are several other good events, like Bellator, for example. I want to fight, regardless of location. What I don’t want is to stand still,” he said.
Macarrão wants to maintain his style and sees 'life outside the UFC'
Pasta during weigh-in at the Nitrix event. Photo: Facebook/Reproduction
“The perfect strategy is a knockout!”, he defines Leonardo Macarrão, participant of TUF Brasil 1. Trying to remain faithful to his style, the Santa Catarina native has already won four victories since leaving the UFC – where he only had one fight and suffered the only defeat on his record. The welterweight wants to better prepare himself to remain on the roster of Ultimate athletes if he receives a new opportunity. Even so, Macarrão also sees good alternatives outside the octagon, showing himself to be very attentive to the international MMA market.
“Now I'm very focused on the goal, training and learning more and more, so that when I have another opportunity in the UFC, I can enter and never leave. Every fight is a learning experience. I maintain my style, which will always be this, I'm training everything at the same intensity, but my style will never change. I believe that this is precisely what, one day, will attract the attention of major events. I'm there for anyone who wants to hire me. The dream is the UFC, but we have so many big events today that we can't even choose. We have ONE FC, WSOF, Bellator, KSW and so many others, that today you can’t complain about being out of a job”, he analyzed.
The series of special reports from SUPER FIGHTS sobre or The Ultimate Fighter Brazil It also has a special podcast on the topic, which featured the participation of Thiago Jambo – member of TUF Brasil 2. Listen to the podcast HERE or download to listen whenever you want HERE.
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