The Jiu-Jitsu World Expo 2013 is primed to have a duel between two former UFC fighters.
After signing Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares, the show created by Renzo Gracie in 2012 now closed with Dean Lister, a black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and owner of 12 wins and seven losses in MMA.
Fighting out of San Diego, Lister contacted Renzo Gracie today, and assured the promoter that he was ready to face Palhares at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo. The black-belt accepted the proposed rules: 20 minutes of fighting, without counting points or advantages.
“I have great admiration for Toquinho. I met him during ADCC 2011 in England, and I know he is a very good person. It is an injustice what they are doing with him in the MMA scene. It would be an honor to fight him at Expo 2013,” Lister told GRACIEMAG.com.
Lister has accumulated titles without the gi. At ADCCs, he won the absolute superchamp in 2003 and was in a 2005 superfight against Jean Jacques. In 2011, he returned in style, finishing Rodolfo Vieira and bagging the up-to-99kg division. In the last ADCC, Lister won the silver medal in his division.
Toquinho initially wanted to fight in the +88kg division, and Dean weighs 99kg. But Renzo Gracie is confident he’ll make the fight.
“I think Toquinho usually weighs 92kg, and is a very strong athlete. Really strong. Those who have trained with him know that; so we are 99.99% sure that Rousimar will accept the challenge, since the weight difference is not so great,” Renzo said.
