5x jiu-jitsu world champion at black belt, Rodolfo Vieira is preparing his transition to MMA. He has signed a contract with Japan based Real Fight Championship.
His debut was initially planned for the beginning of 2016 but has moved to October.
Last October, after winning his first ADCC title this year in the -99kgs final, Vieira was offered a pro MMA contract Real Fight Championship (where Kron Gracie made his debut).
Vieira has recently started training at American Top Team and he has also been training at Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro.
He told Brazil’s Esportes:
The training is very good. Very different from what I was used to in Brazil. I feel like a white belt in MMA (laughs). Before I mainly trained Jiu-Jitsu, I am now investing heavily in Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling. And of course, while the side of Jiu-Jitsu. But I’m really enjoying the academy’s climate, from training … I was very well received by all, especially by Steve Mocco, Katel Kubis, Mark Parrumpinha, Conan Silveira and the Ricardo Liborio. They are giving me all the attention I need to develop and make a good debut in MMA. Definitely made the right choice in moving to the United States to train at American Top Team (ATT)
Rodolfo signed a five fights contract with the Japanese event Real Fighting. His debut is scheduled for October, but he still has no defined opponent. The black belt Jiu-Jitsu plans to fight the category of light heavyweight (93kg).
Vieira will be in Zurich, Switzerland at the end of July, joined by Marcus Buchecha and Leandro to give a mega BJJ seminar at Frota Academy. From there they will head over to Ibiza to lead an exclusive BJJ camp.
At 26 years old, Vieira has joined American Top Team in Florida and will have top UFC fighters training with him such as welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, Junior dos Santos, and Hector Lombard.
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. It was founded by former members of Brazilian Top Team, Ricardo Liborio, Marcus “Conan” Silveira and Marcelo Silveira but there is no formal affiliation between the two teams. ATT’s main academy is in Coconut Creek, Florida but has academies throughout the United States. ATT features professional fighters who have competed in many major promotions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), PRIDE Fighting Championships, DREAM, K-1, Strikeforce, and Bellator.
ATT pro fighters: Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, Robbie Lawler, Hector Lombard etc….
Vieira, has beaten top MMA fighters in grappling matches, such as Antonio Braga Neto, Antonio Carlos Junior, Sergio Moraes, Andre Galvao, and Alan Belcher.
Vieira has been flirting for a long time with the idea of transitioning to MMA. He recently recovered from herniated discs injury that kept him out of the World Pro and the IBJJF worlds.
