On episode 2 of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil we saw Team Vitor’s Godofredo Pepey take the lead for the featherweights with his decision win over Wagner Galeto of Team Wanderlei.
This week the middleweights will fight and because Team Vitor won last time, they will get to pick the match-up. Coach Wanderlei Silva has told his team they need to be ready to fight anybody.
Coach Vitor Belfort says his strategy is simple; find a way to match the fights so his team has the higher probability of winning.
Vitor says the fighters are at the same level but what makes the difference are the ones who want to fight. Middleweight Daniel Sarafian says he wants to fight and Vitor feels he is ready.
Fight Pick
As the coaches gather with their teams for the middleweight fight pick Vitor gives a little speech that seems to get on Wanderlei’s nerves (I imagine Wandy’s reaction is similar to the way I feel when Jon Jones talks about some quote he read). Wanderlei says:
“Sometimes I wonder what world he lives in. This is real, this is fighting. Let’s go, let’s fight. … My God, he’s such a bore. But then I ask the most important question. Does he realize how boring he is?”
Vitor announces Renee Forte from Team Wanderlei will fight Daniel Sarafian from Team Vitor.
Daniel Sarafian
Daniel Sarafian says he was raised in Sao Paulo in his grandmother’s house and was a bit of a troublemaker as a kid. He says he was a bit fat and was picked on and learned to fight by defending himself and that is how he first got into martial arts.
Sarafian says now he fights for himself and to be the best in the world. Vitor is confident in his abilities.
Renee Forte
Renee Forte is from Fortaleza and started karate at 6 years old. He lost his mother at age 18 and went to live with his father and brother. He says he has a difficult relationship with his father because he likes to drink.
Forte said he had considered giving up fighting at one point because he saw all his friends graduating from the University and he gave up the University to fight. Wanderlei gives him great encouragement and tells him he made it.
Forte says he wants to change his whole history and when he enters the Octagon he takes his whole family and all they’ve been through with him. He is determined to become a champion.
Pre-Fight
Team Wanderlei is seen back at the house gathered together talking about the importance of the opportunity. One thing noticeably missing so far… alcohol. Delson Pe-de-Chumbo gives a speech about team unity and believes they should divide the house and living quarters. Team Vitor’s Hugo Wolverine doesn’t like the idea and thinks it will create rivalry in the house.
Forte says he feels Sarafian is a bit unstable mentally because he worries too much and says, “He should be worried.” Forte has six pounds to lose before the fight.
There’s quite a bit of product placement advertising going on. Example: Wanderlei hands out Integra Medica protein bars to his team and says, “If you want to be stronger than your opponent, eat these.”
Weigh-Ins
- Sarafian – 185
- Forte – 185
Team Vitor’s Anistavio Gasparzinho and Rodrigo Damm get into an argument because Rodrigo feels Gasparzinho was making some disrespectful and rude jokes about the other team.
Gasparzinho calls Damm “the grumpy one” and says he is really annoying and makes jokes about other people but can’t take them himself.
Just before the fight UFC heavyweight champ Junior “Cigano” dos Santos pays a visit to Renee and Daniel and their teams. Being a Brazilian himself, the visit from “Cigano” is extremely motivating for the teams. Cigano is excited for the rematch between Vitor and Wanderlei.
Middleweight Quarterfinal:
Renee Forte (Team Wanderlei) vs. Daniel Sarafian (Team Vitor)
Round 1 – At 29, Daniel is five years older than Renee. Touch gloves. Forte with an inside leg kick. Double jab from Sarafian misses. Nice leg kick from Sarafian. Right on the chin from Forte, he clinches against the cage, lands a couple short rights pushing Sarafian to the cage. Sarafian shoots, Forte uses a whizzer but ends up on his back with Sarafian stacking him. Sarafian in half guard. Forte trying to sweep and gets to his feet pushing Sarafian to the cage. Clinched. Collar tie from Sarafian and Forte pushes him off. Nice left from Sarafian. big leg kick from Sarafian. Forte pushes him to the cage. Sarafian attempts a trip then a guillotine but Forte escapes. They square up. Left from Forte, left from Sarafian. Big leg kick from Sarafian. Forte looks tired and Sarafian puts him on his back with about 10 seconds left. PMN scores the round 10-9 for Sarafian.
Round 2 – Left from Forte and a left from Sarafian. Leg kick from Sarafian is checked. One two from Sarafian. High kick from Sarafian and Forte shoots but ends up on his back. He makes it up. Sarafian with a collar tie, knee to the body. Forte with a knee of his own but Sarafian throws him to his back. Sarafian on top in half guard. Forte tries to escape, they scramble and Sarafian takes his back, locks in the choke and Forte taps out.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Daniel Sarafian def. Renee Forte by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 2
Wanderlei says after the fight he is “angry” and “really pissed”. He knows how strong Forte is and does not believe he fought to his potential. Forte said the first leg kick really hurt him. Wanderlei said he gets very emotionally invested in the team and compared the loss to a death in the family.
Forte said he feels maybe his coaches complimented him too much. Coach Rafael Cordeiro keeps it real and says Forte only used 10% of his potential and said it was a terrible fight. Forte was crying and took the loss very hard.
Cigano visited the TUF house to give the guys some words of wisdom and the conversation also turned to a talk about Dengue Fever.