Tony de Souza at Machu Picchu, Peru, in 2002 / Photo by Scott Adams
A fighter known for the potent blend of wrestling and slick Jiu-Jitsu that he wielded in top-tier competitions like the UFC and ADCC, Tony de Souza made history this Dec. 12, 2012, by becoming the first former UFC fighter to do battle at an MMA event in the South American nation of Bolivia. Not having fought since his 2007 exit from the UFC, the André Pederneiras black belt known as the “Peruvian Savage” stepped up to take the place of his student David Frias, who was unable to enter his scheduled bout due to a lacerated hand, in his scheduled bout at the MMA Nemesis event. It took little over a minute for founder of the “Cholitzu” brand of grappling to put away Luis “Nino” Perrogon using the submission hold he was perhaps best known for during his heyday: the choke.
Check out the efficiency of the man credited with inventing the Peruvian neck-tie choke:
De Souza fought twice in the UFC in 2001 and three times between 2006 and 2007, besides working as grappling coach on BJ Penn’s team during the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. However, it was in 2004 that the now-38-year-old had the performance that catapulted him to fame in Brazil—a lively Jiu-Jitsu-heavy three-round clash with Luiz Azeredo that even featured the rare twister hold, which inexplicably did not mark the end of the fight.
Check out the fight that had Helio Gracie wide awake and beaming at 3 AM on a chilly night in Teresópolis, Brazil.
