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Eddie Bravo: MMA In 2004, Matt Hughes, Jiu-Jitsu
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 02/01/2005 06:08 PM
Eddie Bravo: MMA In 2004, Matt Hughes, Jiu-Jitsu
By Eddie Bravo
Boxinginsider.com: What do you expect to happen in 2004? How will the sport change over the next year?
Eddie Bravo: In 2004 I don't expect there to be that many changes in the actual techniques of MMA, submissions, takedowns, striking. There will be a couple of new things that we learn from watching fights, things that are effective in the sport. You watch someone try something new in the UFC and if it works, everybody jumps on it. That happens three or four times a year and we're going to continue to see that. This sport is not done evolving, obviously.
But as for world titles in 2004 go, hopefully we will solidify the lightweight division and get a good champion in there -- and the same thing for the middleweights. I would like to see a solid champion there. And then, the return of Tim Sylvia, possibly. We need to figure out the heavyweight division as well. Well, hopefully by the end of next year we will have some solid, clear-cut UFC champions.
Boxinginsider.com: Which fighters do you think will have the biggest impact on the sport in 2004? Explain the reasons you think they will be so successful.
Eddie Bravo: I think Matt Hughes will continue to be successful, even if BJ Penn does beat him . It doesn't matter. He's lost before and he will bounce back. Also, the same thing goes for BJ Penn, whether he wins or loses against Matt Hughes, I think he's going to definitely, by the end of the year, establish himself as a true welter-weight. He's moving up from lightweight division. At the heavyweight division, will Ricco get another title shot? I'd like to see a Ricco-Tim Sylvia rematch. That might be nice.
But he did lose to Pedro, so -- who knows if he'll ever get a shot after that.
But in this sport -- whether it's Pride or the UFC -- there are seven or eight fights, and there are seven or eight losers at every event. That's the one thing about this sport -- no-one really knows anybody's record. It's not like boxing where you know this guy is 32 and 1 or 33 and 0 or 27 and 0. In this sport, I'm the biggest fan on the planet and I don't know anybody's record -- unless they're new to the sport and I know the guy is 2 and 0 or 4 and 0. But after that, it's all about how you've done in the last few fights that really matters. I really don't know anybody's record. When I was a huge boxing fan I knew everybody's record. In this sport it's all about how you bounce back. You could lose three fights in a row and come back and win big and then you're back on top again.
Boxinginsider.com: In the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which fighters do you think fans should be watching to enter Mixed Martial Arts?
Eddie Bravo: I hope Marcello Garcia gets a shot in the UFC. He is one Brazilian who I look up to and I admire for his finishing abilities -- without the gi, without the collar, without the sleeve -- he's really good at no-gi jiu jitsu and last year at Abu-Dhabi he rear-naked-choked pretty much everybody and took the gold. And I heard he wants to get into MMA and fight in the UFC. I talked to Dana White about it and he seemed to be interested but whether we'll see him in the UFC or not, I don't know. But I do know one thing for sure: if he ever did get a shot in the UFC, he would be a treat for the fans.
The sport needs more true submission specialists. The sport needs thirty more Minotauros. We need thirty more Bustamantes. We need guys who can really close the show on the ground. Right now we don't have too many. There is only a handful of guys who are really good on the ground. It's sad but it's true, and hopefully we'll see a flood of submission specialists rush the sport because really that's what separates MMA from kickboxing and boxing -- it's the ground, it's the grappling. Without the grappling, without the submissions, it's kickboxing or boxing. So I think Marcello Garcia would be a tremendous asset to the sport.
Also, there's this no-gi jiu-jitsu specialist who's not Brazilian; he's from Finland. His name is Jon Olav Einemo. He took the gold as well in Abu-Dhabi in the heavyweight division. That guy has sick skills on the ground and he knows how to close the show. He knows how to finish people off -- and I hope he gets a shot in the UFC as well.
Boxinginsider.com: Aside from the January 31st show, what fights would you like to see most in 2004?
Eddie Bravo: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. I would like to see the UFC heavyweight champion against the Pride heavyweight champion -- whoever it is at the time. I think both organizations are starting to work together so if that could happen in the UFC, that would be great. Maybe Tim Sylvia against Minotauro. That would be awesome -- you know, Pride versus UFC with an undisputed heavyweight title. I think that would be tremendous. I think the fans would love that as well.
Boxinginsider.com: Any plugs? Any upcoming seminars? Anything you'd like to plug in this interview?
Eddie Bravo: I've got some seminars coming up -- one in Pennsylvania in February -- but nothing I really want to plug now. I'll do it the week before I do it. I'll get on the 'net and plug it like I do. But if anybody's interested in having me out for a seminar, I'd be more than happy. They can email me at twisterbravo@sbcglobal.net and I will let you know all the info -- what I charge, and how I run my seminar. And we'll take it from there.
Eddie Bravo is a boxinginsider.com contributrer. Stay Tuned for Eddie Bravo and Ken Shamrock's UFC 46 Previews only on boxinginsider.com.
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