Jackson ‘Samurai’ in action in the UFL cage. Image: UFL
Jackson Santa Cruz Filho is one of the athletes exported from Brazil who now makes a living from professional MMA in the United States. A black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Jackson ‘Samurai’, as he is also known, is about to have another opportunity to show off his skills at the United Fight League, in the fifth edition of the event scheduled for August 30.
With a recent victory in the UFL, Jackson ‘Samurai’, a 33-year-old athlete, is part of the Phoenix team, which will duel against fighters representing Las Vegas. A member of the group trained by Henry Cejudo, an UFC idol, the Brazilian “Samurai” will face Anvar Boynazarov, an athlete from Uzbekistan. To beat him, the strategy is to invest in Jiu-Jitsu, a modality in which he is a black-belt.
Brazilian fighter trained in Jiu-Jitsu has been gaining experience in MMA
Experience is not something that intimidates the fighter from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. In 2018, he already had his chance to impress the Arizona crowd. In his first international fight, at Iron Boy MMA 10, he was able to defeat Randy Steinke by decision in a title fight. At the end of the fight, ‘Samurai’ became the owner of the organization’s featherweight belt. Before that, while still in Brazil, he won another title, the best among the featherweights of Tremores Fight.
IBJJF Euros champion, Santa Cruz said his goal was to be a complete fighter, a practice he maintained since the time he dedicated himself exclusively to ground fighting. When he moved to MMA, it was no different.
“Since Jiu-Jitsu, I’ve always had a mindset of seeking to be complete. I liked to play on top, but I also trained a lot on the bottom and was always ready to play guard when necessary. In MMA, I maintained the same mindset and sought to improve my striking from the beginning. In 2016, I spent a season in Thailand, where I trained and fought Muay Thai to improve my stand-up fighting. Today, I’ve been dedicating myself a lot to Boxing.”.
Jackson ‘Samurai’ is thriving in mixed martial arts
Before stepping into the cage to fight, Jackson, who is currently enjoying a good phase in MMA with 7 wins on his professional record, makes a point of showing his gratitude for his achievements. For him, it is a privilege to be able to do what he loves in a sport that is increasingly valued.
“It’s great to know that your hard work and dedication in pursuit of your dream also inspire the new generation to dream and pursue their own dream. I also like to spread the message of the power of our mind in achieving a goal. I’m very grateful to be living this moment in MMA, organizations are expanding more and more, as is the case with the UFL.”.
