TUF Brazil episode 4 recap: Rodrigo Damm moves Team Vitor to 3-0

Gaspirzinho the Prankster

Episode four of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil starts with Team Vitor featherweight Anistavio Gasparzinho getting on everyone’s nerves and playing pranks on his housemates until the wee hours of the morning. He continues making noise and keeping fighters from both teams awake. Needless to say, no one is happy with him at this point.

Team Wanderlei’s Rony Jason has insomnia and Gasparzinho’s antics make it worse. So he decides to do some training at the house which in turn keeps some of Team Vitor from being able to sleep and it turns into a snowball effect all started by Mr. Gasparzinho. Rony Jason brings the issue to Coach Vitor Belfort in front of his team the next day, apologizes for keeping their team awake, and they seem to settle the issue there.

Deciding the Next Fight

The coaches for Team Vitor contemplate who from their team will fight next. They narrow it down to Rodrigo Damm or Hugo Wolverine. They tell the team they have decided who will fight next but they do not want to tell them who it will be yet because they want everyone to be ready. And they also said they do not want the fighter going to bed thinking about his opponent all night.

Rodrigo Damm is none too pleased about Vitor’s decision not to tell them who is fighting next. Some of his teammates say what’s the difference if they know tonight or in the morning. Others feel maybe the coaches don’t know themselves yet who they will pick.

Fight Announcement

The next morning Team Vitor and Team Wanderlei gather at the gym and the next fight is announced. It will be a featherweight (145 lbs.) match-up between Team Wanderlei’s John Macapa and Team Vitor’s Rodrigo Damm.

Vitor says, “John Macapa is determined and tough, but Damm is ready.” Wanderlei says, “Damm has international experience and he’s very good at jiu-jitsu, but Macapa is one of our best fighters. I hope he brings the first win because we need it.”

Team Vitor Featherweight: Rodrigo Damm 

Rodrigo says his parents got divorced when he was 16 and he went to live on his own. One of his sisters, Karina Damm, started taking jiu jitsu and he went along with her. He began progressing, she noticed how well he was doing and sold some of her jewelry so he could enter jiu jitsu competitions. Rodrigo credits her with all his success. He also says he does everything for his wife and three kids and seeks to provide a better education and life for his children.

Team Wanderlei Featherweight: John “Macapa” Teixeira

John Macapa says he comes Amapa and from a very poor neighborhood called Perpetuo Socorro. He says he is here for his family and girlfriend. He says his mom and dad separated when he was nine and she became his mom and dad and raised four kids by herself. He says when he’s in the Octagon he will think about his mom and all they have been through.

Pre-Fight

The fighters cut weight and Wanderlei and Vitor talk about the various methods of cutting weight and the importance of nutrition. Wanderlei tells his team, “You are very lucky to be part of my team because the other coach is such a bore. Two hours of training followed three hours of lecturing.”

Weigh-ins:

• John Macapa (145 pounds)
• Rodrigo Damm (145 pounds)

Featherweight Quarterfinals:

Rodrigo Damm (Team Vitor) vs. John Macapa (Team Wanderlei)

Rodrigo says before the fight he wants to get Macapa to the ground where he can use his jiu jitsu. Macapa says he will be ready for anything. Mario Yamasaki is the ref.

Round 1 –  Touch gloves, They come out swinging with both landing some nice shots. Macapa connects, Damm connects with a one two, then Macapa stuns him with a punch and Damm shoots for a single against the cage. He picks Macapa up for a slam, pushes him to the cage, inside his full guard. Macapa makes it to his feet but Damm stays clinched, tries to drop levels but Macapa pushes him back. Macapa lands a couple shots and Damm lands a solid one two. Jab from Macapa. Punch, leg kick from Macapa. Leg kick from Damm, Macapa catches it and lands a right that knocks Damm back. he shoots, picks Macapa up for another slam. Damm on top in half guard, looking to pass. Macapa doing a good job of holding half guard. Macapa scrambles to his feet, backs Damm up to the cage, lands a one two, leg kick. Nice body kick from Macapa. He shoots, Damm stuffs it. Knees from Macapa to the thighs as Damm pushes him to the cage. Another knee from Macapa to the thigh. Great fight!  PMN scores round one for Damm 10-9.

Round 2 – Damm shoots, stuffed. Shoots again, stuffed. Clinch, Damm backs out. They square up. Leg kick inside from Macapa, he swings big and misses. Outside, then inside leg kick. Damm shoots, stuffed. Damm with a jab. Big leg kick from Macapa. They trade jabs. Big leg kick from Macapa. Damm backs up. He changes stances, front kick, leg kick. Jab jab from Damm pokes Macapa in the eye and time is called. His eye is very red and bloodshot but they continue. Leg kick from Macapa. Damm with a jab. Big leg kick Macapa. Jab, leg kick Macapa. Damm shoots, stuffed. Repeat. Big right from Macapa as Damm gets up. Damm shoots, gets the takedown with 1:30 left. Macapa trips him and gets up. They go back to trading punches. Damm shoots, stuffed. Damm with a punch, gets the takedown. Super fast pace! Damm on top with knee on belly and moves from half to side control. Full mount, half guard. His team chants, “Rodrigo!” He gets back in full mount with 10 seconds left and lands some punches before the bell. Amazing fight! PMN scores the round 10-9 for Damm. However, Yamasaki announces there will be a third round = SUDDEN VICTORY!  Holy sh**!

These guys are so hungry — they are literally embarrassing previous seasons of TUF in the U.S.

Round 3 – Left counter jab from Macapa. Overhand right from Damm, he shoots, sprawl from Macapa. Leg kick Macapa. Inside this time. Again. Damm inside leg kick. Left jab from Macapa. Body jab from Macapa. Big leg kick from Macapa. Right from Damm. Inside leg kick Macapa. Left hand. Damm shoots for a single, slams Macapa and ends up on top inside open guard. Damm with a left. Moves to half guard. Body shots from Damm, punches and elbows with 1:30 left. Damm moves to side mount. Macapa scrambles to his feet, pushes Damm to the cage, looking for a single. Damm drops into a kimura. Macapa tries to take his back and ends up underneath at the bell. Both guys feel like they won. It was very close. PMN scores the round 10-9 and the fight 30-27 for Damm.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Rodrigo Damm def. John Macapa by decision

Wanderlei calls it a “joke”. Rafael Cordeiro tells Macapa he won the fight. Macapa says he’s not blaming himself or the team, “God made this happen so he must have something better for me.”

Team Vitor is extremely happy and celebrates together in their locker room.  The team drenches Rodrigo with some type of Acai drink. Macapa says he knows how to deal with defeat and keep his head held high. He says defeat is part of life and the team comes together around his words.