Rani wins gold medal at the Floripa International Open. Photo: Disclosure
A month after submitting Russell Doane in the UFC Orlando, Rani Yaya he once again demonstrated all his talent in ground fighting. The black belt interrupted his MMA training and competed in the Floripa International Open, held last Saturday (24), in Florianópolis. The result couldn't have been better for the Brasilia native, who left with the gold medal on his chest after submitting two opponents in the no-gi contests.
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“What motivates me to fight in these championships is to know myself better, especially my mental side, to learn how to better control my emotions during a fight. Competing helps me evolve as a fighter. It's very different from training at the gym. In a championship, your opponent wants the same thing as you: the medal. Everyone trained for the same goal and will give 100% in the competition. This is a way of training, updating myself and testing myself. I really enjoy competing, especially in no-gi tournaments,” said Rani.
The Brasilia native, who was already champion of the ADCC, the biggest grappling tournament in the world, has plans to compete in the No Gi World Championship, a no-gi event organized by the IBJJF.
“When I don't have a UFC fight scheduled, I want to continue competing in grappling tournaments. Last year I fought in the Brazilian Championship without a gi. I hadn't trained, but I did well, I was runner-up. I always want to be fighting. I even have plans to compete in the No Gi World Cup. I'm really enjoying the IBJJF championships. They are very well organized, without delay, with the keys defined... It fits very well with what I need now. My focus is to fight in the UFC, it is difficult to compete in two different disciplines at a high level, but I want to continue testing myself to become a better MMA fighter”, he concluded.
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