Decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, Vinny ‘Pezao’ Magalhaes (6-5) faces stiff competition at M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa where he’ll aim to hand undefeated Jake Doerr (6-0) his first loss and move one step closer to earning a shot at the M-1 Global light heavyweight championship belt. Fans can capture the submission specialist in action LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Riding solid momentum from back-to-back wins and victorious in four of his last five outings it seems that the three time BJJ world champion has a re-focussed mindset.
In his first outing with M-1 Global this past December, Magalhaes executed an impressive inverted triangle submission for the victory over Alihan Magomedov, an excellent performance to mark his return to the ring after being sidelined for the better portion of 2010 while rehabbing from knee surgery. The win caught the attention of the M-1 Global executive team who offered up a six-fight contract with Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion; the battle with Doerr marks the slick submission specialist’s first trip into the ring under the new 2-year deal.
As a world-class BJJ expert, Magalhaes currently trains and teaches at the TapouT Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he’s dedicated to evolving his skills in Wrestling, Muay Thai and Boxing; with a versatile arsenal, Magalhaes has every opportunity to become one of the world’s best light heavyweight fighters and a marquee name for the M-1 Global promotion.
A Black Belt under instructors Vinicius Aieta and Royler Gracie, Magalhaes won thirteen matches – ten by submission – and took home two Gold Medals in the 2005 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship while still a Brown Belt. In 2007, Magalhaes would become the first Jiu-Jitsu No Gi World Champion in the Super Heavy Weight Division as a Black Belt.
2009 marked an impressive year for Magalhaes at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, where he took home a pair of bronze medals in the Under 99 kg and Absolute Divisions. On his way to win the bronze in his weight Division, Magalhaes defeated BJJ World Champion Rodrigo Cavaca, the 2003 ADCC World Champion and two-time BJJ Absolute World Champion, Marcio Cruz, ADCC Brazil Trial Winner Glover Teixeira; the quest for gold ended with a loss by points to the eventual Champion Xande Ribeiro.
On his run for his second bronze, Magalhaes beat the 2005 ADCC Absolute World Champion Dean Lister by Judges Decision, moving on to the Quarter-Finals against the two-time NCAA Wrestler and MMA Prospect Chris Weidman, who he beat with his patented ‘Flying Armbar’; the semi-final match against Braulio Estima ended with Magalhaes losing by points. In the 3rd Place match, Vinny scored a late takedown against Gunnar Nelson which guaranteed the win.
Magalhaes has also been instrumental in educating some of Europe’s top prospects and M-1Global’s upcoming stable of young fighters by leading a training seminar in Saint Petersburg, Russia late last year. Talking about his experience, ‘Pezao’ was quick to point out the determination his pupils possessed. “I’ve trained in Japan, Brazil, the United States and now Russia, one thing that I can say is that the Russian fighters were some of the most intense guys that I have ever been around. It’s clear they don’t have the same resources we have in the U.S.A. but that doesn’t change how tough they can be.”
A recognizable figure to the North American fan base, Magalhaes was part of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter where he went on to defeat Lance Evans, Jules Bruchez and Krzysztof Soszynski, advancing to the TUF finals against Ryan Bader where he lost by TKO.
Ready to continue making his impact felt within the 205-pound division, Magalhaes is primed to make the most of his opportunity against Doerr on one of the United States’ most prestigious, premium television networks; a win places him atop the LHW food chain and directly into title contention.
M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa airs LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
For information on SHOWTIME Sports programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go to the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com
For additional information, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page .
