Coach Titi in action on his way to winning the 2009 No-Gi American Nationals / Photo: GRACIEMAG.com archives..
An interesting match-up for Jiu-Jitsu fans approaches—at Bellator 61 this March 16 in Louisiana, USA.
Arm collector Givanildo Santana will take on Bruno Carioca in the promotion’s middleweight GP. The curious part is that Carioca will be receiving his ground training from a former rival—guillotine king Cristiano “Titi” Lazzarini, a Vinicius Draculino black belt and the teacher of submissions superstar Rômulo Barral. Lazzarini and Carioca faced off in MMA back in October of 2010, when Carioca prevailed. Now the two join forces in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, as Cristiano reported to GRACIEMAG.com.
Could the lessons from the guillotine king keep the arm collector at bay? Between one grueling training session and another, Lazzarini took the time to share some of the lessons that will guide them in training for their commitment at Bellator:
1. WHEN THE MMA GAME DOESN’T MATCH UP
“Giva is a Jiu-Jitsu player from way back; he’s compete a lot in the gi [during the 1990s and 2000s] and has a really good grappling game, with a real tight armbar attack. But Bruno’s a monster; he’s explosive, and the way I see it their games don’t click. That’s something that happens a lot, and that’s why I have full faith he’s going to win,” said Cristiano, who has a fight of his own coming up on March 24. After their commitments, he will help Barral prepare for the 2012 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, and may even give it a go himself.
2. GIVE IT YOUR ALL
“Our training philosophy is: always do your best every day, every training session, as you’ll never get that day back again.”
3. JIU-JITSU SPARRING IN THE GI FOR MMA
“Don’t neglect your gi. Between fights, always get back to training in the gi. If possible, keep active in competition; that will help you adjust the positions, keep up to date on techniques, and sharpen up your defenses.”
4. TRAIN LIKE A PRO
“Be professional about your career from the start, if that’s really what you want to do! There’s no room for amateurs in modern MMA,” Lazzarini said in closing.
Now what do you think, gentle reader? Who wins it at Bellator—Giva Santana or Bruno Carioca? Post your pick in the comments field below.
