Serbia is home to a Luta Livre black belt in the form of Damir ‘Dado’ Mihajlovic. This successful MMA fighter has a bunch of schools around Serbia and a few schools in Montenegro. In this interview with BJJ Eastern Europe, Dado talks about his beginnnings in Jiu-Jitsu, his switch to MMA and Luta Livre, his academies Family Fight Team and his MMA league SBC Serbian Battle Championship:
1. Hi Damir, can you please introduce yourself to the BJJ Community of Eastern Europe?
Hello, my name is Damir Mihajlović, I’m 31 years old, black belt in Luta Livre, MMA record 9-7, living in Novi Sad – Serbia.
2. Please tell us about your Jiu-Jitsu, Luta Livre, MMA story.
I started traning BJJ 11 years ago under master Jovan Zerjal (pioneer of BJJ in Serbia). Traveling from Novi Sad to Belgrade 2-3 times a week was really hard, so me and my brother Bojan opened academy in Novi Sad and named it “Family Fight Team”. I continued to travel to Belgrade and trained in Novi Sad too. I was successfull in BJJ at that time so I decided to fight in MMA too, my first fight was in Croatia in 2005 and I fight since then. In 2006, Bojan and me went to Brazil and there we trained in one of the best Luta Livre and MMA teams in Brasil – RFT. Then, We made the transition, and started practicing only Luta Livre…
Dado and Bojan Mihajlovic at RFT in Rio
3. What would you say differenciates Luta Livre from other styles of grappling such as No Gi BJJ for example?
In Brazil, they say if u train with Gi – u train BJJ, and if u train without Gi – then u train Luta Livre!
4. Please tell us about your academy and your students in Serbia. How do you see Luta Livre evolving in Serbia?
Bojan and me got a cerificate to present Luta Livre sport in Serbia, to coach and to hold seminars.
We opened 7 academies in Serbia (Novi Sad – Spens, Novi Sad – Grbavica, Novi Sad – Petrovaradin, Odzaci, Sombor, Subotica, Stanisic) and 2 more in Montenegro (Herceg Novi and Bar). Every year we organize at least 2 competitions, and the level of fights is geting bigger anfd bigger! Every time we send invitations to all grappling and BJJ academies in the region…
In the begining, there were some academies that participated on our competitions, but didn’t go well. I hope that other academies will participate in the future, because our organization was really successfull and every guest, even international, were satisfied with it… I think that the best way to progress, is to have as much competitions as u can, so we would be glad that all academies come to Luta Livre Serbian Open.
Bojan and Dado In Rio
5. What made you go from training in the gi (Jiu-Jitsu) to switching exclusively to Luta Livre and a no gi style?
It’s very simple! Luta Livre fighters were much better (i mean technically) then all the others! And I have to say that my experience training with Luta Livre guys (especially from RFT team) was great! They have a lot of knowledge, they are polite and patient to show U the techniques, and they embraced us as their brothers!
6.What is next for you and your team in 2013?
A lot of hard trainings, a lot of competitions, a lot of fights!
Last year we started big MMA organization, called SBC (Serbian Battle Championship).
It was a great success, so this year we are continuing with SBC2. The best our students will now have a good chance to promote themselves and make progress in MMA. Off course, other fighters too…
https://www.facebook.com/SerbianBattleChampionship
Family Fight Team, Novi Sad, Serbia
7. If you want to thank somebody or sponsors, feel free
I want to say thanks to you, and everybody else who is doing the best for our sport! I’m not good in advertizing, but I do my best on the mat, in the ring, in the cage… And now even in organizing these events. Greetings to all martial art fans!
8. Thanks Damir and all the best!
Thanks
