.
.

Gabriel Gonzaga Done With MMA; Will Focus on Jiu-Jitsu

Gabriel Gonzaga Done With MMA; Will Focus on Jiu-Jitsu

 

 

In an interview with Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting, former UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga said that he is done with competing in MMA, unless he is offered $100,000:

 

“I don’t plan on coming back,” said Gonzaga. “I’m taking care of my new gym, Squared BJJ. If I get an offer, it has to be a great offer, or I’ll keep competing in jiu-jitsu against people my age. I’m probably retired already. I will only fight again if there’s a good offer, financially speaking, and I don’t think any promotion wants me.”

“I don’t fight for less than 100 thousand dollars. I’m 37 years old and I won’t risk my health or waste my time training and suffering for this. I don’t need it anymore. God gave me a good opportunity in life, and I don’t need this anymore.”

“The UFC is more like a show than a fight sport now. McGregor is the biggest example. I’m embarrassed to be in a sport where McGregor is the biggest idol. If you wouldn’t like your son to be like the biggest idol in your sport, there’s something wrong with it. And I don’t believe anyone would like to have a son like McGregor.”

“Sports are made to create examples to the society as a whole. If that’s the example, someone that talks trash about people or an entire community, he’s become the example for the young generation entering the sport, they will want to be like this idol. If that’s the idol, I don’t want my son fighting MMA anymore and behaving like that.”

“Thank God I had a good run in this sport. I wasn’t the best in the world or became the champion in a big organization, but I was always there. I was a top 10 for almost a decade, I have the second-fastest knockout in the division, I have more than 20 fights in the biggest promotion in the world, and I believe I’m tied with Frank Mir with most finishes in the division. I had a good run. It could have been better, but it could have been worse, too.”

 

Gonzaga was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and began training in judo when he was 14 years old. before later transitioning to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, under the tutelage of Wander Braga. Gonzaga would go on to achieve many accomplishments in the sport before transitioning into a career in MMA.

Gonzaga’s grappling credentials:

ADCC Submission Wrestling Championships

Record of opponents:

  • Won: Mustapha al-Turk (pts), Ricco Rodriguez (pts), Marcio Cruz (pts), Eduardo Telles (pts)
  • Lost: Jeff Monson (pts), Xande Ribeiro (sub)

2006 Winner CBJJO Copa Do Mundo Black Belt Pesadissimo Winner CBJJ Mundials Black Belt Pesadissimo

2005 2nd CBJJO Copa Do Mundo Black Belt Pesadissimo 3rd CBJJO Copa Do Mundo Black Belt Absolute 2nd place ADCC +99 kg

2003 2nd CBJJO Copa Do Mundo Black Belt Pesadissimo 2nd CBJJO Copa Do Mundo Black Belt Absolute

2000 3rd Mundials black belt Super-Pesado