Rani topping the podium in Florianópolis.
One month after scoring a big submission win in the UFC, Rani Yahya was parading his ground skills in southern Brazil. Yahya took part in the Floripa International Open last Saturday in Florianópolis and walked out with a gold medal around his neck after subbing two opponents in no-gi matches.
“What motivates me to fight in these championships,” Yahya later said of the experience, “is getting to know myself better, especially my mental side, to learn to control my emotional side better during a fight.”
The 2007 ADCC champion added: “Whenever I don’t have a fight scheduled in the UFC, I want to keep competing in grappling tournaments. I even have plans to compete in the No-Gi Worlds. I’m really enjoying the IBJJF championships. They are well organized, with no delays, with defined brackets… It’s all lining up well with what I need right now.
“My focus is fighting in the UFC. It’s hard to compete in two different sports at a high level, but I want to continue to test myself to become a better MMA fighter.”
