Leo Leite put on his Bellator gloves for the first time, and Graciemag was there to check it out. Carlos Arthur Jr.
A two-time BJJ world champion and Olympic judoka, Leonardo Leite is also a success story in MMA. Undefeated so far with ten wins, he has been recruited to debut in Bellator on Nov. 3rd against former champion Phil Davis.
Graciemag caught up with Leo Leite at a Fox Sports studio in early October. Here’s how that went.
GRACIEMAG.com: How did you react to being invited to debut in Bellator against such a strong opponent?
LEO LEITE: I got the invite to fight in Bellator and became very happy. The fight with Phil Davis is a great one for me, even if it’s my debut in the organization. Phil is a former champion of the light heavyweight division, and he may be the shortcut I need to reach the belt. I’m 39, I’m no longer a kid, so I can’t stroll down my path to the title. I have to come in, do my job well and go all-in toward the top.
How do you analyze the fight with Davis? Have you been able to devise a strategy to beat him?
I think my game matches up well against Davis. He is a tough athlete, a former champion of the division, but I see some flaws in his game. His takedown defense game is one of these breaches I intend to exploit. My base in judo, especially, could be a differential. It is a little-known style as it gets adapted to MMA, and may bring me the necessary advantage to take Phil Davis down and, thus, apply my jiu-jitsu. I want to fight well on my feet, show my worth, and thus take down to finish.
How about your training routine?
The training is going great. I’m at 100% to go in and win the fight. I did my training at BTT, with Murilo Bustamante, and also at the KS Wrestling gyms, of teacher Antoine Jaoude, and my physical preparation at Reação Institute with Márcio Pimentel. I’m surrounded by great human assets, and I’m sure I will be in top shape on the day of the fight.